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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25823596">Just to Keep the Spark Alive</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraviaryScout/pseuds/BraviaryScout'>BraviaryScout</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bandits &amp; Outlaws, Bickering, Cayde-6 Being Cayde-6 (Destiny), Deal with a Devil, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fallen | Eliksni, Fluff, Gambit (Destiny), Lust, Parental Zavala (Destiny), Partner Betrayal, Post-Red War (Destiny), Revenge, Sexual Tension, Tangled Shore, The Tower (Destiny), Trust, Uldren Sov Being a Jerk, Zavala is Tower Dad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:14:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>129,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25823596</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraviaryScout/pseuds/BraviaryScout</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cayde-6 has been murdered in cold blood by Prince Uldren Sov and the Scorn. Hell-bent on revenge for her mentor's death; Jadyn Amaris, the hero of the Red War embarks on her own personal quest to go after him and the eight notorious Baron followers in the lawless Tangled Shore. She uncovers a sinister plot involving more than just the Reef where she begins to walk the line between light and dark.</p><p>Aided by her fellow hunters, she'll have to choose a side...a choice that could defy her entire purpose and morality as a Guardian. A novelization of revenge, pain, anger, friendship and lust on the events of Forsaken told through my OCs. The title is derived from Murder by Death's "Go to the Light" which was played during the very first teaser for Forsaken.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Guardian/Male Guardian (Destiny), Guardian/Guardian (Destiny)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Last Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone, BraviaryScout here with another Destiny project in mind. This one's going to be longer than the usual Destcember or one-shots I've put on here from time to time. I've been meaning to publish a Forsaken story for quite some time and after hearing a friend play through it for their first experience, it kind of kickstarted the idea.</p><p>Enjoy. Please let me know if you liked this (or didn't) in the comments.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sundance’s blue aura flashed like a radiant sun through the Prison of Elders’ dank circular chamber, focusing onto the remains of a figure buried beneath thick slabs of rubble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It shifted, a large metal arm grabbing the side and shoving the majority of it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 sat up with a grunt and hit the back of his head, trying to clear it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never felt better.” His ghost Sundance seemed to have an expected reaction to his humor as the exo stood up and looked around at the carnage he had caused. Right next to him, he picked up his trusty hand cannon revolver, the Ace of Spades. Cayde’s “signature” weapon was a beautiful frame he had handcrafted himself with special chambered rounds and a fine black and white finish with a spade emblem running along the barrel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see that Petra?” The question echoed around the hollowness of the prison chamber. His strat-com transmitter only received static.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Strange. Mine’s perfectly fine and the signal is strong. What happened?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Petra?” He tried again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn? Comms check. Anyone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must’ve knocked out the comm relays with that spectacular landing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His joker demeanor gone; movement caught his eye, aside from the flickering flames along the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Better known as Eliksni, the four-armed reptilian insectoid race were notorious raiders and scavengers. They were constantly in an undeclared war against humanity because they possessed the Traveler, a paracausal entity that remained above the Last City, the final safe bastion for the Light. For decades, the Fallen had all been divided into separate houses with different ideals and they often fought amongst one another as they did the guardians and the City’s militia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde knew these specific individuals, some of the worst of the worst.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay everyone, it’s all clear. Back in your cages.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A clanging sound came from behind him as he saw a rather tall fallen wearing a faceless helmet and dark brown armor. In his hand, he held a long spear with a blue crystalline material at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More movement. This time at ground level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike normal fallen who seemed to have a big degree of free will, these ones had pale mottled skin and snarled their arrival with raised clubs and a number of other crude weapons that were typical of prison culture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said back in your cages!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>None of the fallen seemed to heed his warning and he immediately jumped into combat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ace was already in hand and he turned, spinning and firing with his right. His left flung a blazing orange knife, immediately piercing the fallen’s thin metal helmet, igniting and causing the body to burn up in flames. The creatures that happened to be shot by the hand cannon stiffened, falling limply to the ground in perfectly accurate shots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing how there were more on his flank, he rotated around, spinning Ace at the same time to load another cylinder. With his left, he expertly fanned the hammer, causing the weapon to fire at a much faster rate than its normal double action automatically allowed. One round pierced a keg of spare lantern fuel, which ignited and exploded apart, wiping out another dozen. A corpse flew in his direction and he spontaneously ducked, allowing it to collide and knock out two more that had tried to attack him from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His onslaught only delayed the inevitable though as the rest of the deranged fallen closed in. Before any of them could swing their weapons and attack, he had jumped up above to land on a pile of rubble that had a solid vantage point over the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde was about to continue his attack when he spotted several more of the fallen already climbing up towards him like frenzied zombies.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not this time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He thumbed a tripwire grenade, sticking it to a metal pole just as the horde approached. The explosive detonated in a brilliant flash, destroying all but one of his pursuers who dove in front to avoid the blast. His escape of death was short lived as he stared down the barrel of Ace as Cayde slid to the ground again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The quip was halfway out of his mouth when he felt himself grabbed and flung rather violently into another masonry pile. A sharp edge cut through his cloak and he could hear it tearing somewhere on his backside as pain flared through it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is my favorite cloak!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup, that hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His joke didn’t faze the large fallen as it picked up another metal sheet and swung it at him. Luckily, his hand found Ace’s trigger guard before being sent careening upwards into part of a destroyed balcony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a long way down and he dug his arm into the side to try and arrest his fall. After sparks danced and metal grinded together in a sound that would’ve set his teeth on edge; he had finally come to a stop, dangling right over another group that were waving their clubs around. They gave off more bloodthirsty growls as their prey “helplessly” swung above their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s little gift for ya.” Cayde aimed Ace at the connection and fired, severing the structure and kicking off forward. The fallen underneath tried to move out, but were too slow, unmoving as the heavy metal plate crushed their bodies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, not sorry.” The hunter admired his handiwork before running into the center of the fray to resume his flashy showdown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was in the middle of using another panel of the balcony when even more seemed to pour out from the hallways that surrounded the chamber.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s like there’s no end to these things.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde took off at a dead sprint just as the mob of fallen had caught up to him. One swiped its spiked mace at him, missing by just a few inches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching to the light; his entire body was enveloped in a fiery solar aura as his will manifested into a flaming pistol that burned with a molten inferno. Cayde was in mid spin as he lined up the perfect shot, the golden gun capable of piercing through numerous foes and turning them into burning embers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as his finger tightened on the trigger; he was stuck from behind in a flying tackle. One of the fallen had hit him right at the exact moment, inadvertently saving its comrades’ lives. The golden gun round shot harmlessly up into the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angered at the denial of such a good lineup, Cayde was able to put another through the tackler, causing him to dissolve in a glow of orange. Just as he recovered though, two more fallen had pounced on him, grabbing and throwing him aside. Ace clattered to the floor and they grabbed his cloak as he crawled towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By then, the rest of the large mob had arrived and threw him back to the ground, kicking and swinging their clubs at him angrily as if a bunch of rioters meting out justice on an oppressor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde couldn’t help grunting in pain with each blow, but instead focused on his strength and light building back up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes snapped open and he propelled himself up into the air, spinning to help regain his sense of balance. Hands spread and flung out, but instead of a flaming pistol, he unleashed a salvo of knives. Each blade found its mark in a fallen victim, burning them into ashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it.” Cayde scooped up Ace as he landed on the ground. “Now I’m pissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another fallen lunged for him, pinning him against the wall. He may be a light wielding warrior, but eliksni were also reputedly strong for their scrawny size. Despite his attempt to move Ace to him it at his attacker; the creature kept a firm grip on its wrists, snarling at him with skin-crawling breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t know what got him to think of such a thing, maybe back to the days where the legendary titan Saint-14 used to brag about smashing the skulls of his enemies with his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde’s frame also had a pointed horn at the end and with a enough force, it managed to punch through the fallen’s helmet, piercing its brain and killing on impact. As he stood back up, he staggered tiredly to the center, glaring at the larger fallen that had watched the entire skirmish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really...all you got?” He breathed, not particularly waiting for an answer. With a flick of his wrist, he had summoned Sundance. Thanks to her, he’d be back in fighting shape within an instant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here help me out,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them saw the purple flash lance out from the dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rifleman’s shot was dead on, hitting Sundance right inside the tiny seam where her core separated from her armored shell. The void energy pierced through, skewering the ghost from end to end and she exploded in a screamless death that blasted raw light everywhere. It radiated outwards before seeming to take a final gasping breath to fade away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde was still in shock, now beginning to realize that his connection to the Traveler had been severed with Sundance’s destruction. He was ghostless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And without his ghost; the next death...would be his last.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And now I know how Eris feels all this time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no time for him to chide himself about being so careless with his closest companion. Multiple thuds and footfalls indicated the fallen watching from above had sensed their advantage. No longer afraid of him now that his source of constant resurrections had been deprived, they surrounded him on all sides. Predators stalking their wounded, bleeding, cornered prey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right.” He sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a distinct metal scraping on the concrete. Cayde turned around to find himself face to face with a massive fallen that had two of its four arms dismembered. It carried a  large spiked flail that had napalm fuel burning fiercely within.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So...after everything I’ve been through. The debts, bets, the deals...this is how it ends? Zavala would probably be making a speech on his dying breath. Ikora? I can’t imagine it because nothing can kill her for good. She won’t stay down.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I suppose this is it. Thanks for the great times Andal. I’ll be seeing you on the other side too and we’ll be back to playing baccarat together again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My wife...and my son. I’ll see you all again soon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming home...Ace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holding his hand cannon gingerly, he aimed it right at the fallen’s head as a final act of defiance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right as the flail’s head smashed into his side. Cayde vanished from sight as Ace was dislodged from his grasp, falling emptily to the floor.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The dust choked him as Cayde tried to come to his senses. He hadn’t felt this amount of pain constant for a long...long time as he tried and failed to weakly stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thin slender figure entered the shaft where he had supposedly crashed into. Cayde was about to ask it for help, but recognized the person’s gait.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren. The last person I'd ask for help from.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Prince Uldren Sov was the vice leader of the Reef, the wildlands where his race inhabited; the awoken. Uldren was only subservient to his sister, Queen Mara, but with her disappearance...the entire leadership vanished and the people were left to fend for themselves in the wake of the Taken King’s arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde knew that the Prince hated a lot of things. But there was one thing he hated more than anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guardians. Didn’t matter, human, awoken or exo. They were all beings he despised with every fiber.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He must think it’s his lucky chance. It’s not every day you get to kill a guardian. One that’s high ranked as myself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he breathed, trying to break the tension. “This is kind of awkward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde could almost see Uldren rolling his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s kind of dangerous with all those fallen out here. You got a gun I could borrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Came the flat response. The awoken man stepped closer and Cayde saw he was busy admiring Ace in his hands. It sickened and enraged him to think that someone had the audacity to hold his own weapon like that right in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So terribly well balanced.” Uldren hummed in approval, turning it over. “But I do have a bullet. With your name on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” Cayde’s laugh was humorless. “Well I wouldn’t stay if I were you. Any second now, my partner is gonna roll in here and kill every single one of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uldren tolled his eyes again, rather dismissive of the threat.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Still...something about him is a bit off...even if he's his usual condescending jerk self. His eyes seem like they're bloodshot or something.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you my man, are gonna get the worst of it all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All he got was a shush as the Prince put a finger up to his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is going to hurt.” Ace was loaded, leveled and pointed directly at his head. “A lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The irony wasn’t lost on him that he was about to become executed by his own hand cannon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any last words?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Got a lot of apologies to make. Lots of things I’ve wanted to say before I...passed on. Never figured I was meant to be a martyr. Sucks being like this and I don’t want anyone else to see me this helpless.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But there is no way...no way I am going to be on my knees and beg this prick for mercy. As much as he might want and enjoy it, it’s not happening.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’m sure there will be plenty back at the Tower who will rip him apart for this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde smirked, which only seemed to further irritate Uldren.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s your sister?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken Prince closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>24 Hours Earlier</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although it had yet to fully recover from the destruction of the Red War, the First Pillar Lake was already teeming with people. Set in a more rural setting than the mostly industrialized sections of the city, it had quaint neighborhoods, affluent homes and a crystal clear blue lake that was often a center of leisure in the summertime.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the time for being outdoors, school no longer in session and for the Vanguard that protected the City and its interests, it was a lapse in enemy activity that was long overdue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody would recognize the hero of the Red War, even in beachwear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s exactly what she wore. Clad in dark athletic gear suited for water sports, Jadyn Amaris stood around the average height, a human with fair skin, sea green eyes and scapular length hair that had just a slight reddish tint when it hit the sunlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A white volleyball was in the palm of her hand and she threw it upwards to set and serve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four people on the other side of the net moved into position, spiking and sending it back to her side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wasn’t alone. Three others from her fireteam were also participating, some closer on defense to try and block while she and her fellow hunter; an awoken named Ailsa were closer to the back. Both the boys on her team, another awoken that was warlock named Etalan and a human hunter named Marcus had larger and bulkier frames, perfect for up close defenders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouts and play calling echoed across the pitch as the eight participants kept up the frenzied pace of the volleyball match. All around them were lakegoers and people lounging on the white sandy shore that had small foamy waves crashing. Scores of people played in the surf as others wandered up to the row of vendors setting up shop to sell snacks and drinks of all kinds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The game was close, but Jadyn managed to rally her team in the end to finally pull ahead. Laughs were shared and the two groups congratulated one another on a good game before parting ways. Jadyn’s own group sauntered towards a set of towels laid out in the sand. A few minutes later; Ailsa had joined them, handing out a can of beer to each of her cohorts before dropping on top of the towel in the shadow of an umbrella with Etalan. Awoken didn’t do too well with prolonged sun exposure. It was something their ghosts could heal, but all of theirs had been on their own vacation where their shells would be scrubbed, polished and their cores refitted to the latest specifications. The little ghost was a guardian’s lifeline and invaluable partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that was fun.” The warlock sipped his beer and tapped it against Ailsa’s. He turned to her. “I gotta say Jadyn, your idea of an R and R day has really paid off. This is the best I’ve felt since I won that Redrix’s Broadsword competition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group laughed and Jadyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Etalan was the team’s resident Crucible competitor. Although a capable guardian on team operations in the field; his own expertise was competing in the live-fire combat sport that both the guardians and the City enjoyed watching. Etalan had literally taken the stage by storm, thanks to his own stormcaller abilities and tactful thinking. Despite being assigned to random teams with other freelance players, it wasn’t uncommon for teams down a man to ask him to fill in a spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Etalan Cyor was regarded as one of the greatest stormcallers to step foot into the Crucible and showed no signs of slowing down. Analysts had commonly compared his ability style to the proven Kari Winters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll second that.” Marcus muttered, eyes shut and leaning against his towel half propped up. He took a swig of his drink. “Also looking forward to a cut of that Farm prime rib, another good brew and some live music.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oooh.” Jadyn laughed at him, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the two awoken in their group. “Feel like dancing and getting a little bit of that party life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not? Life’s good. No big threats. Red Legion’s still running like a bunch of pussies after we punted Ca’uor off the Leviathan. It’s like the universe has finally given us a break for once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Might as well enjoy it.” Ailsa added as the rest of the group nodded in agreement.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>And they did. Of course the boys were all the more enthusiastic about digging into the City’s finest prime rib in one of the City’s most vibrant entertainment districts right in the heart of downtown. More beers were passed around and raised for a job well done and the night went on smoothly as they went into a club after eating their fill and paying; automatically granted entry past the line as guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa and Jadyn immediately hit the floor, engrossed in some trendy music blaring in speakers all over the dark room that lit up with flashes of bright lights thanks to the DJ at the top pedestal. The center was a swirl of gyrating bodies, people surrendering themselves to the music. Both Etalan and Marcus kept out of it, deciding to order more drinks and secure a booth when the girls got exhausted. For one, they seemed rather content with sitting around and enjoying themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until Jadyn sauntered over, putting her hands on her hips. Like most women her age and figure, she was aware of how she caught the eye of the opposite sex. But she wasn’t about to let that stop her from getting her teammates to join in the fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boys, aren’t you going to join us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Etalan and Marcus exchanged a hesitant glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” The awoken warlock said flatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How is that Marcus? You did after we were waiting for Zavala to debrief us after that strike.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t dance.” He repeated. “Period.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lame.” She huffed, half hoping the name calling would get him to change his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter breathed out a sigh of relief as his teammate went back to join Ailsa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you probably should.” Etalan said after a pause between the two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus rolled his eyes. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean I’ve already seen three guys eyeball her,” he gestured to the floor. “And one of them looks like he’s already flirting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus followed his gaze. “I don’t care.” He did see a rather handsome tall man talking to Jadyn and a slight twinge of irritation crept up in his mind when she smiled and laughed at something he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See what I mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s too much of a pretty boy for her liking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The statement was true, Jadyn was as tough as nails as any guardian he’d come across and most people were surprised that she didn’t always conform to the regular feminine stereotypes often given.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like earlier in the steakhouse, where she practically inhaled a ten ounce ribeye, entire baked potato and a mug of beer without so much of a pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And most of the crowd here looked to be of the more affluent kind who were less of a partygoer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. She’s her own business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the one who gets irritated every time a stranger tries to flirt with her when we’re on leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was about to retort when her strat-comm on the table buzzed. Without thinking, he picked it up, ignoring Etalan’s hard stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there!” He could recognize Cayde’s joking voice anywhere, but it seemed that the Hunter Vanguard didn’t seem to notice it wasn’t Jadyn that had picked up the line. “How’s my favorite guardian doing on her matchmaking with the gruff asshole weapon nerd?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...it’s Marcus sir.” He said flatly. “Jadyn’s currently on the dance floor of Aura.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Cayde’s voice showed no remorse or sheepishness as if he didn’t care his hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar. “Well then, can you deliver this awesome strat-comm to her? I have an important message.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. Hold on a second. Music’s loud, so I’ll try and see if she’ll go somewhere quieter to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Etalan chuckled as Marcus stood up, device in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look who’s going on the dance floor after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got a middle finger in return.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn wasn’t really sure she got the joke that the guy had told her, but she laughed with him, adding more to his confidence.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He is cute though. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Although she liked talking and meeting different boys, none really struck her as her...type. Some would be flat out jerks while others too nice and putting her on pedestals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Marcus approach, she turned, scrunching her face in confusion as he said something to her indistinguishable over the blaring music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” She yelled. Marcus’ lips moved again and he held out her strat-comm, but she still couldn’t hear him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy that had been talking to her stepped forward, almost as if to confront him, but the hunter gave him a glare that made him hastily back off. He grabbed the top of her head, something easily done since he was nearly half a head taller and moved so he could yell in her ear over the roar of the music and not get lost in the wave of bodies dancing around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde! Wants! To talk! To you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Why didn’t you say that?!” A bit of frustration flared up in her as he led them both to their table.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sometimes boys are such jerks! I don’t even know why I can’t stand this guy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus rolled his eyes at her glaring at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This girl is crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Etalan smirked at him. “I thought you liked crazy.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it?” Jadyn asked incredulously. “There’s an ongoing riot at the Prison of Elders?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Petra’s said that this one has the potential to escalate into something bigger.” Cayde chuckled. “I’m out in a couple of hours and could use some backup from my favorite guardian. I’ll owe you after it’s done. And we do need to visit Petra and the Awoken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could.” Jadyn had lukewarm feelings for the elfen species that inhabited the Reef, a collection of loosely connected asteroids in the belt between the planets Mars and Jupiter. While a number of awoken inhabited Earth and the Last City, they had originated from a cosmic event deep in the Solar System during the Golden Age when humanity had supposedly went out to colonize other worlds to expand its empire and were reborn when the Collapse occurred, changing forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken that lived in the Reef had similar feelings toward the City. Living closer on the wildlands and uncharted sections of space that were lost, both sides had mutual agreements and cooperations, however many that lived in the Reef had a generic disdain for the City, Guardians and its inhabitants. A similar feeling was in the City itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petra was one of the few that Jadyn enjoyed talking to while out there in a campaign to settle a massive dispute with the fallen House of Wolves and one of the Barons, the infamous Skolas in his attempt to seize power. She had been one of the guardians tasked with carrying out the Kell of Kells’ death sentence through a ritualistic battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really don’t have to convince me anymore Cayde.” Jadyn laughed. “Of course I’m in.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>It was an eleven hour flight to the Reef from the City, so the two hunters met in the hangar the next morning to check out their ships and pack for the long journey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s ship that she had obtained from after the Red War was the Lost Legend, an silvery ovoid frame with multiple smaller thruster pods and bubble cockpit that was surprisingly spacious and one of the few that allowed a pilot, passenger with a strong survivability rating that was perfect for long expeditions without returning to port.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flight systems were old Golden Age tech with among the best maneuverability she had ever flown. While not an ace pilot like Cassius, she was adept and thoroughly impressed with its capabilities, which included thrust vectoring. At least one of the thruster pods could be aimed to cover at every omnidirectional angle possible and she could fire one to change its course within an instantaneous reaction to near-zero. This made it possible for her to dodge through a hazardous asteroid field or even fly backwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The downside to the Lost Legend was the fact that it had no external weapons. It was built to be an explorer vessel rather than a combat one. She’d have to see Amanda for some weapons upgrade, but the line to have the ships tended to and outfitted with cannons or missile batteries was constantly long and it sometimes took weeks or even months to get through the queue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jadyn figured that if it was meant to be away from port for a long time, she might as well outfit it for comfort as her “home away from home”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cockpit featured a supple leather seat that could pivot in place with the dash controls to her left and right, accessible with each hand. In the center was a steering wheel, shaped like a U. Behind her was a set of small living quarters; a heating unit, sink and spare bunk that was accessible by a folding panel right beside the storage area, which housed sets of armor, weapons, food and other supplies. There was even a vault of glimmer that she kept stored away in a secret compartment just underneath her pilot’s chair, that would be used for untraceable purchases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She strapped herself in, entering from the main hatch and sealing it shut. Beside her, the ghost partner Solomon was already checking the ship diagnostics and would point out anything erroneous or unusual. He didn’t seem to see any wrongs and already was communicating with the Tower’s air traffic control to get clearance. Definitely a helpful thing, even though one of her panels had a comma unit installed already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of her, she could see the large gray and blue ship that belonged to Cayde-6 ease out of its own dock, slowly cruising to the hangar’s entrance and quickly ascending.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tower Control to Ace Hunter and Razoredge Dagger, clear to ascend to two thousand on a two seven zero heading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ace Hunter ascending to two thousand and two seven zero. Thanks gentlemen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn repeated the command and the two ships turned over the wall, leveling out at two thousand feet altitude, cruising just above the tallest buildings in the City that were nestled underneath the Traveler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful isn’t it?” Cayde asked over her strat-comm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Jadyn breathed, still a little in awe at the metropolis. “As much as I love the scenic tour, aren’t we supposed to get going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know it! But still, I love looking out at all this, just to remember what and why we fight for.” Cayde pulled up and accelerated. “Fun’s over. I’ll race you to the Reef!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In this thing?” Her hand pushed the throttle and she felt it rumble as the engines dialated as she began to match his speed. “You’ve only made a mistake in that!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite their “race” which was never taken seriously, they both shared a lane in the NLS stream, flying close together. It was nearly a straight shot with no adjustments needed to drop out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn spent most of her time checking her gear, sitting at the folded out table. About halfway into the journey, she was watching a drama series that was popular in the City on her datapad while eating a light meal. She’d sleep the rest of the way until Solomon woke her up a half hour out.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Solomon’s voice said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stirred, sitting up in the cockpit chair blinking a couple of times. The window screen still showed the tunnel-like blue to indicate they were still in NLS.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hope you had a nice rest sleepyhead.” Solomon twirled his shell. “But we’re dropping out in twenty five minutes and we’ll have to do some careful maneuvering once we hit the asteroids in front of the Prison of Elders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course that didn’t even mention how they would be escorted by the Reef’s Interceptor fighter craft. Luckily for them; they would have the knowledge of their arrival and Cayde would do the talking. All she would have to do is fly next to him as they were flown to the Prison’s entrance.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Solomon did most of the tight moving as the asteroids in the field were both quick, dangerous and unpredictable. Thankfully the Lost Legend was more than nimble enough to skirt around the floating rocks as he kept up with Cayde and the two Awoken Interceptors that were escorting them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brought it into a nosedive and she immediately saw the long walkway that led right into the prison’s entrance. Down below, she could see a slim figure; Petra Venj as she awaited their arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde was already waiting for her when she transmatted out and they walked up to the Queen’s Wrath together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Petra Venj!” The exo held out his hands grandly. “Thanks for the invite! So what are you packing for this party?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken woman had features typical of her kind. Lilac blue skin, reddish hair and sharp blue eyes. She wore parts of bulky armor along her shoulders and back with a thin sleek dark suit underneath to maximize movement and flexibility. A bronze patch covered her left eye, lost in an incident she hadn’t disclosed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petra gave a curt nod, but still smiled at seeing her old friends again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The usual.” She drew a long gray knife from her hip sheath, a signature weapon amongst the Reef’s armed forces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh! Oh! Do the thing again!” Cayde’s eyes lit up like a puppy’s and he leaned to Jadyn. “Seriously, you gotta watch this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn already knew what he was talking about. “Cayde I’ve seen it before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Petra still obliged him and they both watched in amazement as the curved blade spun around in midair before she snatched it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wow. Still pretty awesome.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That will never not freak me out. Like ever. Now do it again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Later.” Cayde looked a little disappointed when Petra slid it back in its sheath. “Maybe. But we’ve got a situation. Gen pop is running wild down there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn could indeed hear the sounds of shouts from various species that were kept in the prison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fortunately the lower levels remain on lockdown, but if the security systems fail...containment is going to be a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s the plan then? We’ll have to keep the security hub online running until we get the riot under control.” Jadyn pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just another day at the office.” Cayde whipped out his signature hand cannon, the Ace of Spades and twirled it around his finger, slipping a magazine into the cylinder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, this is a Cayde riff in six. Watch me for the changes and try to keep up!” He smirked. “Now let’s go to prison!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a happy shout, he leapt off the side of the platform, plunging down below to a series of shrieks and shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn shook her head at the Hunter Vanguard’s enthusiasm as she heard the familiar rattle of Ace going off.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only Cayde would be so excited to go to prison.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She unholstered her own hand cannon, a better devils, spinning it around like Cayde had done before sprinting up to face the horde of rioters that awaited inside.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Debt Has Been Paid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, here we go with the next chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hello?” Solomon was trying the strat-comms when Jadyn shook herself awake. “Cayde? Petra? Anyone listening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a groan, she sat herself up, rubbing the knot that formed on the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, glad you’re up. I kind of had to clear your head of a mild concussion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A concussion? How hard did my head hit whatever?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t raise either Cayde or Petra on the strat-comms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The prison...what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Petra said something about them trying to escape through the airlock on deck zero. He cut the wire to the mainframe for this section and dropped down?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That sounds like something Cayde would do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn scooped up her hand cannon, checking its ammo before proceeding. “And the rest of the prison?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reinforcements are arriving on the upper levels and securing the facility. But there’s been no contact with everything on our deck plus lower down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde’s probably going to need our help.” Jadyn approached one of the doors and opened it up, sighting every area with her weapon before proceeding. “Let’s get down there and find them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The Prison of Elders’ lower levels were the maximum security wards; home to some of the more dangerous inmates. Each one regardless of security was placed in a pod and put into a stasis of suspended animation. There were varying sizes as well, some of the fallen barons or hive knights were many times the size of a guardian and required special attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was no doubt the largest prison break Jadyn could fathom. Even if they managed to secure every avenue of escape, the facility was simply too large to fully lock down without the aid of the nearby Reef garrisons...and she doubt they’d arrive in time to even let a single inmate slip through.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No doubt Commander Zavala’s going to get every available person in the Vanguard hunting the escapees down.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The atmosphere became more dank as she descended down more levels and she was satisfied to see that most of the cells in here were still locked with the occupants unroused. It was probably apparent that they were unaware of the staged riots and breakouts that were occurring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re losing signal from the upper levels.” Solomon warned her. “Cayde’s crash must’ve cut out the main communications node this far down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re on our own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights in the corridor were flickering weakly, casting eerie orange and black shadows on the walls and floor. Jadyn’s HUD automatically adjusted to the glare and she saw every capsule in this section had been opened. A thin vaporous cloud of a bluish white smoke had settled on the floor, obscuring the metal grate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ether trails.” Solomon noted. “Look out for escaped fallen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knelt down, swirling her hand around. The gaseous substance the fallen breathed to survive was normally a ghostly white and not as dense as this. It parted with her hand like fog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But something about this ether...feels strange...wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Couldn’t have gone far.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jadyn moved forward, seeing all of the capsules had opened with the thick ether flowing down to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Up ahead, something scuttled and her eyes immediately darted to the shadows, aiming the better devils around. Her stomach knotted and lurched.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just breathe. Nothing we haven’t seen before.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard commotion through the next door and her HUD flashed with hostile contacts dead ahead. As it opened at her approach, she was greeted with a sight of chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a floating purpose orb machine, a fallen servitor that was firing void blasts at these...things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Each one disturbingly lacked a head and had pale mottled skin with fleshy growths and spots that resembled the Golden Age disease known as cancer. Each one had dark straps and rag cloths barely covering their bodies and they carried long chains that they swung wildly around with the ball at the end on fire, throwing off candescent sparks. She watched as three of them charged for the servitor, swinging the flails around and slamming them into the ground. The flails splashed out a clear liquid that drenched the servitor and subsequently burst into flame. Bludgeoned into an unrecognizable hulk, the fire blasted it apart with a pained screech of metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had no fondness for the fallen unlike her teammate Ailsa; but she couldn’t help feel bad for the machine dying out in such a painful way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ravaging creatures turned and growled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Better devils barked in her hand as she put rounds into them center mass. Surprisingly, the creature merely staggered back and kept coming. Another two shots into the closest one finally put it down and she flipped her trusty combat knife in her hand to take out a second one. Stabbing the third, it didn’t seem to have any effect as it swung the lantern around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn jumped pack before she was doused in the incendiary fuel and swapped to her shotgun, an experimental prototype of the Braytech’s IKELOS subroutine. The buckshot blew the next couple apart and one fragment had hit another one’s lantern, causing it to explode and wipe out the remainder that were close by. The air was full of acrid smoke and even the filters couldn’t hide the smell of scorched flesh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those things,” Solomon whispered in horror. “They used to be fallen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They’re not fallen? So what are they now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn found an access hatch where she had seen some of the ravaging fallen emerge from. Although it was tight and claustrophobic, it was likely the only way down. Hopefully some of them weren’t there to ambush her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While crouching through the duct, she could see and hear more of the creatures walking beside and underneath. A swarm of them rushed another servitor that was wandering, giving it a fiery fate that she had previously seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fallen attacking servitors? They never do that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She had so many questions, but it was already apparent that the ether had been altered in a way to make these fallen even more aggressive and bloodthirsty than normal. Plus, they were surprisingly resilient; most vandals and dregs died quickly from her knife or a couple of shots from a hand cannon, yet these had kept on attacking with no regard for their own wellbeing. Most fallen she had fought would likely retreat if they suffered an injury like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s almost like you’re shooting a tree.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully she knew that the lantern flails the ravaging creatures carried were extremely volatile and a well placed shot caused it to explode and incinerate any others close by. She managed to clear the next couple of rooms with ease.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fallen don’t become like this.” Solomon said. “Someone must’ve done this to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>By accident or intentional?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Both were plausible. Jadyn had sabotaged a Red Legion operation on Earth that attempted to intensify the black oil they kept in their bulky pressurized suits to boost their combat prowess similar to adrenaline...and she was fairly certain something could be done similarly with the fallen’s life sustaining ether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or it could’ve been like some Golden Age superhero media where a freak accident suddenly turns an ordinary person into someone with superpowers and alters their appearance in a rather horrifying way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next area was a wide open expanse, another hallway featuring overhanging rails for prisoner transports. They remained eerily still. As she entered and scanned the room; more capsules began to open, springing the same strange fallen from their slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t bother waiting, already opening fire with her hand cannon. As the ravaging ones approached and she ran out of ammo, the shotgun was pulled out and she deftly sidestepped, pumping shells into each one as they voluntarily approached into the weapon’s ideal range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However as she dealt with the other fallen, a flash of void light came from her left and she was knocked back, grunting in pain as a trio of bolts burned their way into her armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn managed to look up, seeing a tall biped fallen with the same skin pattern as the ravagers. Before she could get a bead with her hand cannon, the sniper vanished in a cloud of blue ether. It spread, darting to her right and materializing into the figure again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spotted a crate just ten feet ahead and slid into cover before the sniper could target her again. It was just within range of her better devils, but she holstered it and brought out the heavy weapon she had brought along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Sleeper Simulant was one of the most powerful weapons available to the Vanguard, reluctantly authorized for use by Commander Zavala. Deemed a “solar” powered; it was a long, heavy rifle that shot a high density laser that was incredibly powerful in cutting through armor, shields or flesh. Interestingly enough, it did little to no damage save for a burn mark on structures and rocks, instead reflecting off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn waited until the sniper stopped firing and peered out to aim. Sleeper’s charge time was lengthy, so she had begun the priming sequence before popping from her cover. The fallen spotted her and attempted to raise his own rifle, but was too late. A red laser eviscerated him in the midsection, burning the corpse, armor and weapon into ashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn moved up to the door, trying it, however it remained jammed shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it’s the shaft again.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It seemed the further Jadyn went through the Prison, the more disturbing things she found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if the ravagers, snipers and basic foot soldiers she had to guess were previously dregs were bad enough, she encountered a new breed of fallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They skittered quickly along the floor, running around on all six of their limbs like insects, seeing her and rushing forward like old friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as she shot one, it exploded with the force of a grenade, taking her by surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like this at all.” Jadyn whispered softly. “What kind of monster did this to the fallen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure,” Solomon replied. “But it can’t have been the Awoken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not that we know of.” Her HUD flashed again and she rolled back as another one of the exploding fallen attempted to jump her. The blast sent shards of metal and dust everywhere, causing the entire structure to groan and shudder from the shockwave.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This place is a deathtrap.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I spotted a hatch that leads to the bottom level. It’s a bit of a drop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn made sure there were no more enemies before she peered down. Solomon wasn’t kidding. It had to be at least sixty feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Are we sure that’s the bottom?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one way to find out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn eased herself over the hatch, seeing parts of a catwalk that had been blown apart by something previously. Likely one of the exploding fallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath and dropped down, straightening her body like a pencil to maximize her descent. The ground rushed up to greet her and she quickly used a bit of her light jump to arrest her momentum. As she landed on the flat disk surface, a burst of familiar light radiated all around her and an inexplicable heavy feeling formed in her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Solomon whispered, almost as if he didn’t believe his own thought. "It can't be!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde’s ghost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about her?” Jadyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s gone.” Her own ghost’s voice turned panicky. “Hurry! We need to find him! Without his ghost, Cayde dies for good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” As much as the panic had set in, she needed to remain calm and move quickly, but carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde’s signal is just below us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn opened the hatch and dropped down, suddenly aware of something pounding on the door in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on. They’re all shapes and sizes now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The...thing in front was unlike anything she had ever seen, almost straight out of a horror laboratory experiment. Brass metal caps pierced it from all sides and she could see rusted chains wrapped around its thin limbs that looked almost too weak to support its massive bulk. All along the torso was ripped with shredded muscle, looking strong enough to physically tear apart foes with its bare hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could wait until it succeeded in smashing through the door for easy access, but with Cayde lightless, it wouldn’t take much for that thing to pound him into scrap metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bided her time, loading a fresh magazine in her Sleeper and grabbing a grenade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as part of the large metal door buckled, she flung it over. The swarm grenade broke apart in midair, releasing a dozen tiny explosive particles that homed in and detonated around its head. Roaring in agony, the creature lashed out with both hands and Jadyn found herself flung backwards into the ground from a shocked blast of lightning.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Geez! That hurt!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like she was being hit by multiple stormcallers. As Solomon did his work to heal her, she twitched as a bit of arc energy still connected itself to her body. She aimed Sleeper, charging it up and aiming for the metal cap affixed to its neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three shots managed to stagger the abomination, but she had to find cover again when it began to shoot more lightning out of its palms. The commotion had attracted more of the fallen to their position and she was about to be overwhelmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not today.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Summoning her light again; she raised her right hand to form an amber flaming pistol. She set her sights on the hulk, firing a single shot that easily burned past the creature, incinerating it into nothing. The rest of the fallen balked and her next two shots incinerated a bulk of those that dared to stay, quickly fanning the revolver's hammer to rapidly pump the shots out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing that they were at a clear disadvantage, many of them jumped through the holes and cracks from where they came, settling the entire place in an eerie silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on Cayde, we’re coming!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Cayde’s transponder was weak, but she managed to find him in a narrow corridor just outside the airlocks on the bottom level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn rounded the corner, seeing her mentor lying on his back in the middle. It immediately alarmed her that he wasn’t moving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her gaze turned up and she saw the airlock’s entrance open, just as a lone humanoid figure was walking through.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Something about him looks familiar.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As he turned around, she narrowed her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren. One face I hoped I’d never see again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Prince Uldren Sov had rubbed her the wrong way when she first sought the help from the Reef. Granted, everyone was a bit cold, but at least they helped nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uldren made it evident that Guardians were among his least favorite people, whether they were awoken or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was also the last person she would expect to help Cayde.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was probably the reason he was motionless on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uldren smirked at her and she wanted nothing more than to shoot the smug grin off his face. To her horror, he held up the Ace of Spades in his hand as if it were a prized trophy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t feel a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snapped her hand cannon up as he exited. For once in her life, she was too slow on the chip shot and the round splintered harmlessly against the metal door that snapped shut and locked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was vaguely aware of the fallen skiff on the other end detaching from the prison and flying away. She ran up to Cayde, who’s eyes fluttered open and he went into a coughing fit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde!” She cried out, kneeling beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No...no. Stop. Stay calm.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That was one thing she couldn’t do. Her mentor and longtime friend was dying right in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I gotta do something!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no.” Solomon flew out from her side over Cayde’s body. He shot a healing beam out in a vain attempt to heal the fellow guardian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Like fingerprints and sparks between ghosts and their guardians, each one was uniquely tuned to their specific partner. There was no means for Solomon’s advanced healing abilities to work on anyone else except for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn...he’s fading. Quickly.” His eye looked somber. “I’m sorry guardian. His wounds are too great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need a medic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying!” Solomon sounded choked, like he was trying himself not to cry either. “Even if one gets down here in time, I doubt they’ll know how to fix an exo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How...how’s my hair?” Cayde asked quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No...don’t say that Cayde.” Jadyn bit her lip. Her hands found the large gunshot wound in his sternum. Ace’s round went clean through and with the additional damages he had suffered even prior to being shot; it wasn’t looking good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His breathing was ragged and he grunted in pain every time he tried to move a limb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got ahold of Petra,” Solomon said, but a hint of doubt in his voice. “She’s on her way here as fast as she can with a trauma team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just stay with me Cayde.” Jadyn fought back a wave of tears that welled in her eyes. “We’re gonna get you out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you’re...not. You’re...not going to.” His arm weakly rose up and grasped hers. “Listen kid...this...this ain’t on you. This...is what...I get...for playing...nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is my fault!” Jadyn cried. “I couldn’t get here soon enough! And now we’re all going to pay the price! The Vanguard needs you! I...I need you too! I can’t lose you like this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be...okay. You’re going...to be...okay.” Cayde wheezed. “We’ll all see one another one of these...days. I...never thought...I’d be ready...at a time like this...but...I was always living...on borrowed time anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Stop talking and save your strength. Help is coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s...okay.” Cayde tried to crack a smile, but his head felt so weak that it slammed back on the floor. “Please...you...tell Zavala and Ikora...that the Vanguard was the best...bet that I...ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s heart dropped as the his eyes slowly began to slide closed and the lights grew dimmer. The strength in his hand grasping her arm was starting to weaken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cayde’s head went limp a moment later and his hand slid off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“CAYDE?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No….nonononono! Tell me this isn’t real! This is a dream of some kind!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t. His body, once housing a close friend and teacher...someone who taught her about being a hunter was now a lifeless husk with no signs of vitality or movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! No! No! GODDAMMIT!” Jadyn screamed out loud, anger directed fully at Uldren and the fallen that accompanied him to murder her exo friend. She wanted to throw a storm of razor sharp hot knives as retribution for everything he had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hands flung out and eyes went wide as a volley of that same picturesque thing occurred, dozens of flaming knives darted out, impaling the metal door and exploding in a white orange flash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn,” Solomon started cautiously, not wanting to anger her further. At the same time, he was scared himself, never seeing her this furious before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of lashing out at him, she collapsed to her knees, burying her hands in her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t cry...don’t cry. I can’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She barely recognized the footfalls from behind as Petra arrived, breathing heavily and stopping short as soon as she saw Cayde’s lifeless form on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her were two awoken corsairs, donning white and purple armor to signify their status as field medics. They immediately got on their knees on both sides, one immediately going to check diagnostics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn,” Petra’s voice cracked, but she was unable to tear her eyes away from him. “I’m...I’m sorry. I screwed up. Bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They could only watch in silence as an AED was brought out and charged. Cayde’s body twitched as the revival orb sent a burst of cosmic energy to his core systems to jump-start it. Nothing happened. They tried it again and Jadyn shook her head as it was unsuccessful a third and fourth time. Nothing short of Sundance or maybe a Techeun would be able to heal him and she was sure the latter would never get there in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The medics had finally declared him dead, leaving Jadyn to fully realize that the Hunter Vanguard was gone...for good. No resurrections.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Gambit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. So here's the big sad of Cayde's bigger funeral in the City as everyone presses "F" to pay their respects. Jadyn's stuck in the depressed loop and can her teammate get her out to play the newest sensational activity that has shadily graced the Tower?</p><p>Big thanks to NetRaptor for letting me use her character Nell Anderson in this chapter. Same with Solsabre and her character Jahara Veska. Little bit of strong language as well.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>News had reached the City quickly as officials announced Cayde’s death hours after.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had flown his body to the Dasa compound, the largest Vanguard base in the Reef area where he was officially confirmed dead. She forced herself to eat and take a short nap before setting the Lost Legend back on the eleven hour flight back to the City and NLS.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, nobody was fully informed until after she had left.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Just like in the movies and shows; the funeral service just happened to take place when the overcast sky was dark and stormy. Rain pattered against the concrete of the Tower Courtyard in a sea of black umbrellas, however those who weren’t covered paid little attention to the downpour. The usual guardian Lament played on bagpipes during the ceremony as Cayde's casket was laid to rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words spoken in the speeches done by Zavala, Ikora and Lord Shaxx rung hollow in her ears. Cayde’s casket was laid in the center of the courtyard attended to by dozens of guardians. Before he would be laid to rest, there would be a period where it would be visible so that people of all kinds could walk past and visit to pay their respects to the fallen Hunter Vanguard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire Tower was devastated. People cried, wore grim faces and after the news broke out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He had the worst jokes.” Like before during the speech in the Tower Courtyard; Ikora seemed to have difficulty finding her own voice as she couldn’t take her eyes off the body concealed underneath. “Even worse timing. I wanted to laugh...I really did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Jadyn and Zavala stood behind her alone. The silence was long and pregnant in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Located close to the City centre, it was a granite pavilion surrounded by a beautiful lake and garden with several semi circular rings of obsidian, each one bigger and wider than the rest. Pathways were just in front of each ring, many spots having gifts laid in front from flowers, cards to bottles of liquor. Some even had urns buried in the ground with mementos and ashes. Others had fragments of the destroyed ghost, paired up with their guardian once again in the next life for eternity. Aside from the eternal flame, two of each guardian class stood vigil as an honor guard over their own deceased class as well as their brethren to ensure their rest would never be disturbed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon closer inspection, the obsidian walls had names engraved all along its smooth glassy surface. They were all the names of the known deceased guardians that died in service to the Vanguard and the City. In the aftermath of the Red War, the list of the departed had only grown, adding thousands to the walls...and they were still counting the dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should have been there. This is not your fault.” Ikora choked out. It subtly freaked Jadyn out that the normally stoic warlock had lost her composure like this. “This...this is on the head of Uldren Sov.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Zavala tense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if he thinks what he’s done is the end, it’s not. It’s the beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ikora’s voice sharpened like a sword. “We’re going to fight him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to her, Zavala hadn’t said more than two words while they waited for the morticians to finally lay Cayde in his final resting place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you hear me?” Ikora finally turned and glared at Zavala. “All of us! Every titan. Every warlock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every hunter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand gripped the knives sheathed on her waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will take the Reef by storm! And then, we will mount the head of that son of a bitch on his precious throne!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck yeah. And there’s going to be an army of guardians who will jump at a chance to tear that fucker apart alive. I’ll be one of them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“For our fireteam. For Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Jadyn and Ikora turned in shock to Zavala, who seemed neither unmoved nor emotional.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you just say?” She asked in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not an army. We are not conquerors. We are guardians.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Are you fucking kidding me?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jadyn’s eye twitched. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re gonna fucking sit here and do nothing?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to keep our eyes here on our home, our people and the Traveler.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stalked forward, still staring at Cayde’s casket. “The Reef was lost the moment it lost its queen. So if another Sov wants a stretch of lifeless rocks, let him have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Cayde we’re talking about!” Ikora protested. Jadyn hadn’t seen this kind of rift between the Vanguard leadership before...almost as if they were parents of a bad marriage. “For us to sit and do nothing...is...is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say it.” Zavala’s eyes narrowed, daring her to do so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ikora’s narrowed back at him. “Cowardice. I don’t care what you think...Cayde was my friend and I’m not going to let his legacy by stained by some self-pompous royal shit executing him like a wounded animal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I don’t know that?” He snapped back at her. “You think that I never had any appreciation of Cayde? That is where you are dead wrong. Cayde was my friend too...one that I had never taken for granted! We cannot compromise ourselves for a little bit of revenge...no matter how damn significant. Even for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zavala stepped closer, running an armored hand over the casket. “I refuse to bury any more friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both living vanguards turned to see Jadyn step forward. She took one last look at them and slipped a hand to her knives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uldren Sov is mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zavala looked as if he was going to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The prince is going to boast about how he handed the big bad guardians a huge defeat. Just like the both of you; Cayde was my close friend...and the one who taught me what it meant to be a hunter. You both want to stay clean? Fine. I’ll get my own hands dirty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and stalked out of the tomb, heading down the ramp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And put Uldren there, where he belongs.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The days passed by, seeming like weeks to Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flags flying in the Tower and entirety of the City were lowered to half-mast, a custom dating back to even before the Golden Age where it signified a day of mourning when a significant tragedy occurred. Businesses closed early and traffic had been reduced. The Traveler projector had emblazoned the hunter sigil on the bottom of the sphere, an inverted set of three delta shapes surrounded by a winding serpent to symbolize the three common elements, all vastly different types of warriors, but all sharing the same wit, cunning and rogueness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn this isn’t healthy.” Solomon said for the tenth time as she set to work on her personal gym floor in her modest apartment, in the midst of doing rigorous amounts of exercise to the point where she was just straining herself to masochism. “You need to relax.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t.” She was in the middle of pull ups, using one hand to brush a stray of coppery reddish hair out of her face. “I can’t slow down or stop. It won’t help Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not helping Cayde if you work yourself needlessly into the ground. The whole team is worried about you. Especially Storm and Marcus. And I am too.” Solomon floated up to her level and twirled his shell. “Please...I know him gone hurts...but you have to stay strong. He’s not going to want you to be like this forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t plan on it.” She hastily replied, a little bit of snappy irritation in her tone. Solomon was surprised at how muscular her shoulders had gotten ever since she was a lanky hunter when he first found her in Old Russia. Ever since becoming a full fledged guardian; Jadyn took her fitness regimen seriously, since the other biological guardians on her team often worked out together, all being in tremendous shape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held herself up on the machine’s bar and raised her legs in a familiar exercise that strengthened her quads and core muscles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then just take a break.” He leaned closer. “For me. I don’t want to see you lose yourself over this either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What am I supposed to do?” Jadyn’s tone turned more cross and she scowled as she dropped down from the machine, eyeing the rack of weights in another corner. “Pretend like nothing happened? You know I can’t do that. None of us can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon sighed. “Jadyn, nothing’s going to change. I agree. But you <em>can</em> change how and what you’re going to do. I’m with you...I want Uldren to pay for what he’s done too. But you need to stop before you wear yourself into the ground and can't do anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How am I supposed to relax when that haircut and his fallen whackjobs are on the loose out there doing light knows what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a better idea than just letting off steam? Remember, you don’t want to charge in without some sort of plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get up close and personal with Uldren and put a bullet in his head.” Jadyn put a hand on her hip. “Then maybe I’ll eat a sandwich.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon sighed, remembering those same words Cayde had uttered when she rescued him on Nessus when he planned to assassinate Dominus Ghaul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re never going to let this go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not until I can have some closure that the sick bastards are burned to a crisp and Uldren dies screaming.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for Jadyn, Solomon had tried so many times to try and get her out of her original training regimen, to no avail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of the other ghosts in Fireteam Razoredge reported their guardians busy. Storm and Etalan were being sent to Mars to assist with the search and recapture of escaped prisoners who ended up there. Ailsa was somewhere they couldn't locate while Marcus seemed just as shut in. His own ghost Onyx was just as worried, seeing that he had doubled down on his side business of modifying and shading weapons while only stepping foot outside his apartment for meals and essentials.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oddly enough, it was Cassius who ended up getting Jadyn out of her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cassius “Cass” Castonzo was one of the two warlocks on Razoredge and the second oldest after Ailsa. A quick-thinking human with fair skin and nearly shaved head, he was a practitioner of the Dawnblade discipline. While not an expert at one single thing; he was known for being adaptable enough to be proficient at most situations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be fun. I promise.” He flashed his signature lopsided grin and led her through the Tower Courtyard towards the Bazaar. A popular marketplace for guardians and non-guardians alike; it was full of activity seven days a week with vendors selling and trading multiple foods and goods. It was also home to a New Monarchy post and clan steward Suraya Hawthorne, who had embraced her new role as a liaison between the Vanguard and the City.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had been to the Bazaar countless times and saw nothing different this time around. Guardians bustled about their duties and people were all around the stands as hawkers sold food and other wares to passerbys. To their right was a flight of stairs that gave access to a landing pad on the inside wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cass went down the stairs, winding through the corridors and passing another group of guardians. Jadyn saw them too and they held several weapons with dark metallic coverings and wooden handles.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve never seen those kinds of weapons before. They look pretty cool.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw her staring and chuckled. “Trust me, the rewards for this are great.” Drawing a bullpup scout rifle from his back. “This thing is fantastic and I can see it being a popular weapon in Crucible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked it over, seeing it had a rather light frame, but a sturdy and rugged appearance. “That actually looks pretty cool. What’s it called?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Night watch. Recoil is manageable and it has a surprising amount of stopping power. Scouts might not be my thing, but this could change my mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you got this from this game you’re taking me to play?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! It’s great huh? It’s something different than shooting each other in Crucible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let the fantasy owners know about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh they’ll just make a version for this one too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The level they were on had several closed garages that could be rented for storage or setting up various shops. Most remained closed, even though the rental rates weren’t as high as having a spot up on the wall’s surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of them was open to their left and Cass entered first. Jadyn saw a long cylindrical container that glowed an eerie bluish white and swirled with ominous black streaks. Piles of antiques littered the corners of the metal scaffolding from a fallen captain’s helmet to cabal armor pieces that looked and weighed a ton.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard a pinging sound of a coin and saw a man leaning against the railing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody dare spike my coffee with vex milk again.” He sensed their presence and turned, holding out his arms and face broke out into a smile. “Well if it isn’t Cass again! How are ya brother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not too bad.” Instead of hugging, the two of them bumped fists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn studied the new face, having never seen him before. He had fair skin with high cheekbones and a dark full beard, suggesting his origins somewhere along the east Asian region. He wore a similar raggedy outfit that looked both matched and mismatched at the same time. His shoulder pauldrons were lined with some animal fur and there was a small jade coin around his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His entire vibe was one of mistrust and shadiness and she found his smile unsettling despite the fact he was warmly greeting Cass.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kind of unusual. I’ve never known Cass to hang around shady people like this before.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well then you’ve come to the right place for a queue.” His eyes turned to Jadyn. “This your friend you’ve been talking to me about? Mmm,” he made a hum of approval. “She’s definitely hot stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say that again?!” She bristled, not even expecting someone like him to flirt with her so brazenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feisty.” The man chuckled, turning back to Cass. “I like her already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cass, you can’t be serious. I didn’t come with you all this way just for some creep to take my clothes off with his eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that about putting some clothes </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Just relax, I ain’t interested in you like that. No...it’s something else. Your pal here has been a player in a new gig I’ve been running since I got here to the Tower couple weeks ago. I call it...gambit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn relaxed, but still remained on guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me Drifter.” The man placed a hand on his chest. “And welcome to Gambit. Here, you and three others on your team are gonna compete against another fireteam of guardians as you hunt for the other enemies of humanity. I name ‘em and ya kill ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay...I see what Cass was saying about this being different. Consider me interested.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Once ya kill ‘em, they’re gonna leave some things behind. Motes. Pick ‘em up and drop ‘em into the bank you see behind me as proof you’re doing your job. Better ya do your job, the rougher ya make it for the other team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn couldn’t help herself. “What’s the catch?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Cass and Drifter chuckled. “Ya catch on quick!” The latter beamed, waving a hand in front of her face, when he twisted it around, he had miraculously flashed a jade coin that seemed to come out of nowhere. “There’s a twist for sure! Y’all are gonna have to bang knuckles, face-to-face with the other team from time to time. And lemme tell ya, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my travels, nothing kills a guardian faster than another guardian! So woo! Get ready to be bad guys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Her own moral compass was telling her this was a huge red flag. Drifter seemed nice enough, but the entire thing of hunting and killing other guardians just didn’t seem right to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure there was the Crucible, but it was an arena where everyone played fair and square...for the most part. Shaxx was quick to discipline cheaters and dirty players when they popped up, but this felt like actually hunting down fellow guardians as they battled a common mutual enemy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on...just give it a try.” Cass egged her. “It’s been a really great thing to do and Drifter outfits some awesome gear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It feels wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because you’re too noble.” Drifter chuckled. “But I know you...probably more than you’d like. I can’t tell if that look in your eye is determination or rage. Word is that you and Cayde had a pretty good partnership. He taught you everything on how to be a guardian and a hunter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn absentmindedly nodded. “He did. And now he’s gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s rare. You’re in small company there. From what I heard, that guy tended to work alone. Maybe it’s because you pulped a hive god or two. It’s why I like ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Everyone did.” Jadyn almost smiled at the memory when her fireteam returned after finally slaying Crota. The least she could do is finally let the souls of those he had slain rest easy now that their killer was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drifter waved a hand dismissively. “Listen. Don’t let his death weigh on ya. I know it’s hard to let someone go close to ya. But somewhere, someone has a bullet with your name on it. Same for him, same for Cass here and same for me. Nothin’ ya can do. So go out on your terms with a gun in hand in loot in your pocket! Whoever said ya only live once was a fuckin’ idiot! But gambit’s awaitin’ if ya wanna vent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean...maybe. Sorry...I’m just feeling down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Jadyn. Don’t be such a wet blanket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, knowing that the rest of her team and her ghost wouldn’t stop at this to get her to do something. Even if it seemed a little amoral, it was better than moping around in the Tower, hoping for something to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I’ll play.” She turned to Cass and Drifter. “When can we go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about now? I’ve got an opening for two more players ready!” Drifter said. “I’ll give your ghosts the place to jump ship and we’re off!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>An hour later; Jadyn met Cass in orbit above the City as they awaited the coordinates Drifter would send them that would take them to the Gambit arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if playing this Drifter’s game is such a good idea.” Solomon said, even though he seemed rather happy Jadyn was doing something other than sulking back at her apartment. “This guy is saying we should be playing with dark powers and it spells trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you wanted me out of the house. So here I am.” She snapped back, finally getting a message on her ship’s console. Up ahead, Cass’ own ship; </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dusk Harrier</span>
  </em>
  <span> had its engines flaring, preparing to jump to NLS.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the point.” She looked over the coordinates. “Huh...Nessus. That’s way out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving the throttle, she triggered her own ship’s NLS drive and they quickly jumped off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cass was sharing the corridor with her, so she spent the time going over her gear and making sure it was in working order. Within a couple of minutes, they were joined by two other ships.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-hello?” A female voice she didn’t recognize came over the comms. “Anyone else here for the Gambit match?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Jadyn and I are.” Cass answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. A full team this time.” A male robotic voice said. “Last two I had, there were people who bailed. Annoying as hell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>People quitting is nothing new. Why join a game if you’re going to just dip?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Jahara.” The female said. “Jahara Veska.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stak-5 here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Cass Castonzo and my quiet hunter accomplice is Jadyn Amaris.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn? The one who was with Cayde?” Jahara asked, her expression sombering. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As am I.” Stak said. “I may not be a hunter, but I sympathize with you. Go get Uldren for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I plan to.” Jadyn said, gripping her weapons a little tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drop out of NLS cut the chatter and she saw another quartet of ships on the other side of a strange pronged ship that had cables around a large asteroid with odd specks of dark and light swirling around it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring the feeling in her stomach, she eased her own ride down to the landing platforms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon transmatted her out and she found herself in a long room with a shadowed roof and metal ringlike structures in between. Cass was next to her in a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jahara was a bulky titan, a sunbreaker judging by the molten glowing hallowfire heart chestplate she wore. Jadyn couldn’t see her face behind the visor, but Jahara seemed easygoing enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stak was a warlock with a slender build, but he moved with the quickness of a hunter and seemed a little twitchy. Jadyn also saw four other guardians on the other side directly facing them; two hunters, a warlock and a titan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh crap.” Cass said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Jahara asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See that hunter on the far left?” All eyes looked at her. “That’s Nell Anderson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nell Anderson?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ve been playing Gambit with other people since Drifter arrived and they’ve constantly said to watch out if Nell’s on the other team. She’s one of the most ruthless invaders in this game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She doesn’t look like much of a threat. Guess we’ll find out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right you mavericks, ready to see what you’re fighting today?” Drifter paced in front of them on a platform between the two sides. He held a jade coin in his hand and flipped it up, turning it over in his palm. ”Cabal on the field!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside her helmet, Jadyn smiled to herself a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Been a while since I kicked some Red Legion tail. Let’s do it again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, if you all can get your hands on two cabal phalanx shields, they make great shelter out in the wild.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Drifter likes to ramble about when he preps the transmat.” Cass explained. “He’s actually pretty funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Transmat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Transmat firing!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn had a moment to blink before she was enveloped in a white light and deposited down on Nessus’ surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drop those targets and bank ‘em!” Drifter said in her strat-comm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sprinted forward with her teammates to do just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nessus was a machine world, discovered by Golden Age humanity as one of its colony ships had crashed upon it. There, the crew encountered and were eventually all slaughtered by the robotic race called the vex. She had first come on Nessus trying to find Cayde-6 after everyone had fled the Red Legion when it invaded the City. After befriending the shipboard AI that was still intact; the Vanguard had established it as an active patrol zone to monitor both vex and red legion activity. There were pockets of the fallen House of Dusk too, but nothing yet had concerned Zavala.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nessus had reddish flora and the similar geometric vex landscape beneath a sea green sky. And they seemed to be in part of a Red Legion facility that was crawling with cabal troops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See that meter at the top of your HUD?” Cass asked as he began opening fire on enemies. She did indeed see it as a white bar began creeping out. “That’s the collected motes. Drifter feeds us the progress of both sides and they will turn either red or blue depending on our side once we’ve banked them in that tank in the center. If you have five, ten or fifteen motes and you bank, you’ll be able to send a taken blocker and shut down the other side’s bank, which won’t open until they eliminate it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on...a taken blocker?” Jadyn suddenly had that oily feeling in her stomach. “We’re playing with taken here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, it’ll be worth it once it’s all done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you two cut the chatter?” Stak asked them as he threw a grenade into the last of the cabal. “We’re behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced at their screen, sure enough the enemy had banked fifteen points and two blockers were headed their way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have any motes on me.” She said. “I’ll go open it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do it quick,” Jahara said from somewhere else. “We don’t want to have to deal with them once we get invaded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had faced taken before and knew that their behavior was predictable. Dark shadowed entities of former enemies, they gained terrifying new abilities that made them even more dangerous than before. It was a taken captain and goblin roaming around the bank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dodged the shadow rift the captain threw her way and put a shotgun round into the goblin that was busy shielding its comrade. The larger blocker tried to zigzag out of her sight, but she managed to turn around and fire another round to break and stun it briefly. Two more shotgun shells and it screeched, twisting around before vanishing into nothingness. Moments later, the bank popped open again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bank’s open.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re coming.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After killing a handful of enemies, Jadyn started to get the hang of things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drifter would call out their locations and the team would rush over, grabbing whatever motes had spilled out and quickly slamming them into one of the four nodes surrounding the bank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quite enjoyed Jahara and Stak as teammates. They were both communicative and covered their bases well, even though the two had never met prior to the game.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>A few more minutes of the team busy banking and sending blockers, it was a pendulum of momentum back and forth between them and the other team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then they had their first invasion. Right when three of them had at least ten motes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch your back! You’ve got an invader on your side!” Drifter called out. Jadyn’s HUD flashed red and she almost groaned out loud when the identity of the invader was shown right next to a timer counting down from thirty seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah crap.” Cass muttered. “It’s Nell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their bank was shut down with a pair of blockers roaming around, which was the worst time to have to find and deal with an enemy invading their side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t see her.” Stak said. “We need to get eyes and either run out her invasion time or take her down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave it to me.” Jahara whipped out a flaming tomahawk hammer. “I’ll draw her attention. Get the blockers cleared and bank your motes. They’re still ahead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She darted out. Jadyn and Cass nodded to one another before sprinting towards the bank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately that was exactly what Nell wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Jahara rounded the corner in the open, the opposing hunter already had her golden gun pointed straight at the sunbreaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fired one shot that missed and Jahara retaliated by throwing hammers directly at her that missed as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell wasn’t finished, putting a second round through Jahara that did significant damage, but didn’t put her down. She shot her final super round to kill the titan before she was able to retaliate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn peered around the pillar, seeing Nell bathed in an angry red aura. Her golden gun dissolved in a smoky flash and she was reaching for a familiar black and green grenade launcher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Colony!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stak fired a few shots, but Nell had ducked out of the way, returning fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn heard the familiar skittering noise of the Veist grenade launcher’s signature explosives; grenade charges armed on fast spiderlike drones that homed in on its targets with uncanny accuracy and strength. Stak went down, losing a handful of motes and a curse halfway out of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That left Cass and Jadyn left...but if neither of them could did anything; she’d wipe the team out in one trip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn broke cover, going for the bank. Ignoring Cass’ cries to try and flush Nell out, she dashed forward, drawing her hand cannon and opening fire at the last blocker that kept their bank offline. No telling when the other team would send more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cass must’ve known her intention and their focused fire sent the final blocker fizzling out. Jadyn was mere meters when she heard the sound of the Colony grenade launcher again. She grabbed her motes, sliding the last few feet to a depository and slammed them home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Nell’s spider grenades quickly homed in and took her out.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>When she was rezzed close to the back, she breathed out a sigh of relief that the motes had sent a large blocker to the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That Nell person is good.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Portal’s open! Now go and say hello!” Drifter said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyone up for invading?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got no heavy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And my hammers are used up. It’s gonna be a while before they’re charged again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do it.” Jadyn checked her Sleeper Simulant, seeing how she had six shots; plenty to wipe out the other team.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s see what this is all about.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The invasion portal was a large circular door with black taken essence shimmering all around it. As Jadyn jumped through, she felt weightlessness and a split second vertigo before she emerged on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Into an identical arena like hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re invading! Go introduce yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew that the other team would be aware of her presence and managed to see four outlines of other guardians that moved in real-time. Each one had a number beside their tags, showing the amount of motes they were holding.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This was how Nell was able to find us so easily.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She took out her Sleeper Simulant, knowing its strong laser power could easily cut down a guardian in crucible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her team had just sent a trio of blockers over, which sealed the bank before any of the others could deposit any of their motes. That trapped them with nowhere to run from her. Any attempts to try and clear it out would bring them into the open and in her sights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she didn’t have forever. The invasion timer ticked down in the corner of her HUD and she would have to make the most of her brief window. Her entire body glowed bright red and her movements left a highly visibly smoky contrail. It would be easy for the other team to spot her if she was made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The titan came at her first, somehow able to pick her out from the throngs of other enemies shooting at them. Jadyn raised her linear fusion rifle, holding down the trigger and letting the laser shoot out like a jet. Airborne and in the open; he stood no chance as several motes exploded out of the corpse and dissipated into thin air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other team must’ve deduced where she was because they all scattered up into the vex structure on the far end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw a smoke trail of a sniper round whiz past her head and quickly saw a hunter trying to get her. It wasn’t Nell. As they fired another shot, she slid into cover, using her live feed of the enemy locations to lead her shot. When she emerged, Sleeper was fully charged and incinerated her target.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell was moving quickly towards her and so was the warlock just a few paces behind, likely having relayed her position to their living teammates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had her golden gun ready, but wanted to save it and be prepared next time. Instead, she drew her shotgun already aiming as Nell rounded the corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had squeezed off a couple of shots, but didn’t expect Nell to drop low to the ground and slide over, underneath where she was firing prematurely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell had a knife out and thrust it towards Jadyn’s jugular in a lightning fast motion. Automatically leaning back and avoiding the deadly stab, she had managed to clamp the hand in her armpit, however this meant she wasn’t able to shoot her weapon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw her free hand go down to a red hand cannon strapped to a hip holster and knew she would be a sitting duck if she didn’t counter or do something soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That also meant Nell’s warlock comrade would be coming to her rescue, as the other two guardians that had been put down. Sure enough, she could see the outline of the other guardian drawing a long tubular rocket launcher, dead set on obliterating her on the spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a furious grunt, Jadyn had managed to crank Nell’s arm in the opposite direction enough that she had dropped her knife. However the other invader still had a firm grip on her shotgun, trying to wrest it away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell tried a different approach, suddenly going low again and then springing up high, using her legs for traction. Jadyn felt her arms close like a vise over her shoulder, immobilizing it. She was bigger and likely heavier, so the jujutsu move had used Jadyn’s larger mass and weight as her own worst enemy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This Nell is good.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She smirked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If she wanted to show off, why not oblige?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The warlock was around the corner now, already leveling the rocket launcher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn instead lunged for them, using her own legs to move the other way despite having the weight of another guardian pulling her in the other direction. While her arm was frozen in place, her entire body wasn’t and she had torqued her hips around so she could see the sights of the shotgun out of the corner of her eye. Moving towards her target, she had just gotten in the perfect range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Squeezing the trigger; the IKELOs kicked wildly in her immobilized hand, but it was more than enough for the warlock to briefly back off. He was holding a good portion of motes and didn’t intend to lose them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn couldn’t reach her hand cannon, so she turned around with what little mobility she had left and instead pulled Nell’s from her holster. The other hunter must’ve gasped behind her helmet, but before she could do anything about it; she received a smash directly on the visor with enough force to send her sprawling backwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warlock was taking aim once again, but his shields hadn’t regenerated yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Huh...a Duke forty four. Crazy how a little one like her can handle this thing’s kick.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She fired two shots into the warlock, earning her third invasion kill and spun around to face Nell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl had sprung back to her feet, brandishing a knife in a switchblade hold and lunged.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s ballsy too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn aimed the Duke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as the invasion timer had run out and she was sucked back into her own side of the field.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Jadyn!” Cass called out as something exploded in the distance. “You’re back! And you nailed three kills! We’re neck and neck!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t celebrate too early.” Jahara said. “This other team can come back from a big deficit quickly. We’re gonna have to move fast if we are to put them away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the bank was nearly full; Nell had invaded again. Automatically, the team had spread out, isolating themselves to avoid being caught in a multikill, but also scanning for whenever Nell would show herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn spotted her first, firing her hand cannon towards the cabal drill, however Nell ducked out of sight and went for Cass instead, he held the most motes currently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s coming for you! I’m gonna try and cut her off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! You guys have more than enough to summon the primeval! Let me keep her busy long enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jahara and Stak bolted out of their hiding places as Cass drew Nell’s attention by summoning his dawnblade. A long sabre appeared in his hands and he floated upwards, swinging it down to cast fiery bolts of energy on her position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing that he had her attention; the three guardians slammed their motes into the ports, watching as the capsule disappeared into the ground and shimmering taken blights began to materialize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve summoned a primeval!” Drifter said. “Destroy it and the win is yours!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Jahara said, summoning her hammers again. “See those taken wizards? Every one we kill gives us a buff in damage to the primeval. Weapons will be useless until we do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The team worked quickly to dispatch the first two and then saw the invader timer start ticking down on their HUDs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nell again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s back really early.” Jadyn said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If the primeval is up, the other team can constantly invade the other side. Every time one of us gets killed; it negates some of the damage we’ve dealt to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stak was the closest to Nell, activating his stormtrance, however its limited range was no match for two expertly placed golden gun rounds. The little damage they had done to the large taken knight in the middle had been erased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spread out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sighted Nell with her Sleeper, charging it up. Somehow, the other hunter sensed what was happening and sidestepped the laser, quickly spinning around to bring the superpowered flaming pistol to bear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never got that chance and vanished in the explosion of a pair of rockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jahara and Cass reloaded theirs, turning their attention back to the primeval envoys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The enemy team’s summoned their primeval.” Stak said as he joined back in the action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that means the portal is back open.” Jadyn checked her gear. “Wish me luck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait.” Cass stopped her. “Look, their primeval just got summoned. You’d do no good if you invade right away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually she might have the right idea.” Jahara said off to their left. “If she causes a little bit of chaos, that might be our opportunity to get ahead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But won’t Nell be back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll just have to inflict enough damage so anyone she kills can’t put us behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the plan in place, the team parted ways.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Turns out that Nell was more than ready for Jadyn’s arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smaller hunter attacked her viciously, firing her hand cannon as fast as she could while closing the distance. She had made the intercept inside the vex structures that kept her from seeing the center where an identical primeval was surrounded by the shadowy figures of other taken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of playing things safe and using longer ranged weaponry to try and take her out from afar; Nell had opted to jump in close, swinging her knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had no interest in being stalled for time on one single target. She brought her Sleeper up and charged a shot. As she fired; Nell rolled to the side just in time and flicked her wrist, throwing three knives aimed straight for her head. Causing her to panic, she ducked to avoid the counterattack, but it was the perfect opportunity for her opponent to draw her Duke and point it straight at Jadyn’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However she was midair and falling down. Jadyn was quick on the draw with her own hand cannon, but she didn’t even consider it at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two women crashed into one another, rolling on the smooth surface, engaged in a grapple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrestling up close was something that titans enjoyed more and warlocks hated...and outright refused to do. Hunters were the middle ground, using techniques that dated back to before the Golden Age in throws, sweeps and close combat moves that came into play when they had no weapons to fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell was smaller and more agile than Jadyn, quickly pinning her down on her back and moving with her as she writhed to free herself. It seemed that she was going to try and run the invasion clock out and then snag an easy kill at the last moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad kid.” She managed to rasp, although one to talk...being biologically around her mid-twenties.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nell growled, tightening her vice and hoping she was able to keep her down for ten more seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However it was then that she made a critical mistake that Jadyn saw and immediately exploited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her eyes off her victim to look back at the carnage going on in the center.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s arm flashed up and she managed to grab ahold of Nell’s cloak, flinging her off and causing the other hunter to gasp in surprise. She landed on her feet a little ways away, but quickly spun back to attack again, yelling a challenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn used her knee to block a low sweeping kick as Nell thrust the knife again. Without even thinking, she had caught the outstretched arm with the blade just two inches from her chest and then palmed it right back at its user, stabbing the blade firmly into the center of the visor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the back of Nell’s helmet, kneeing her this time to take the bothersome invader out and then rolling to her feet to grab her weapons to try and take someone out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However they were waiting for her, gunning her down as she made a beeline to the titan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nell never got the chance to invade again. Inadvertently, Jadyn had saved her own team’s neck, keeping the other invader busy and allowing them to take the primeval out. The additional taken that were around shimmered away and Drifter had their ships move above the arena to retrieve their pilots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hot stuff, you got some moves.” He chuckled. “You must’ve woken up pissed today. I like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Congratulations were shared around the team as they took a shared NLS jump and arrived back at the City rather quickly. Instead of parking in the hangars, they docked close to the garage area underneath the Bazaar where they eagerly joined the growling line of other guardians that was just outside the Drifter’s workshop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cass had saved her a spot since he got in on an arrival slot twenty minutes earlier. Jadyn ignored the indignant looks from everyone and sidled up to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?” His bald head seemed to shimmer in the dim light. “What did you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I think?!” Jadyn’s face broke out into a huge grin. “What did I think? That was amazing! It was really fun! I’ve never done anything like that in my life! Kinda short though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Single round for now. Once Drifter gets everyone used to it, he’ll change up the rules.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s better than doing mundane stuff and running strikes for baldy right?” Drifter’s smooth voice cut their conversation short. He smirked at them, flipping another one of his signature jade coins between his thumb and forefinger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was some solid work hot stuff.” He beamed at Jadyn, who smiled back but resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “You gettin’ paid today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cass was more than happy to receive a new set of robes and Jadyn was presented with a hand cannon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You like it? There’ll be more where that came from. Worlds end. And when yours does; make sure you’ve got a partner you can rely on. Trust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared down at it, a dark metallic cylinder and barrel with a wooden frame and long hammer.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A partner I can rely on.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was brought out of her thoughts as a hunter about her height stalked up to her and jabbed a finger into her chest. She gave her assailant a confused look, finding her appearance familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh hi?” She greeted awkwardly, not really sure what to make of this. A lot of the other guardians nearby were looking at the commotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you sure you haven’t played Gambit before?” The hunter hissed, her face etched in a permanent frown. “Like you’re all hot. I heard the Drifter calling you hot stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well to be honest, nobody calls me that in the manner he did. They always do it when I’m pissed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It clicked for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re Nell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one and only.” Nell looked younger than she expected; close to Jadyn’s age herself. She had a trim athletic figure with piercing brown eyes and ebony black hair that went down to her neck. Her ghost had red and blue markings over its simplistic shell and stayed back a ways, seemingly afraid of conflict.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon floated forward, glaring angrily at Nell. “What do you have against my guardian? What you’ve done has paled in comparison to what Jadyn and I have accomplished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay. No need for trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well here’s something for the both of you,” Nell jabbed her finger again. “You’re not going to beat me as the best invader in Gambit. I’ll make sure of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey hey hey,” Drifter must’ve heard the commotion and sauntered forward. “As much as I like good rivalries and cat fights, our hero Jadyn here did a solid job. Aren’t you all supposed to be on the same side anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well...I don’t ever think I’ve met my match in Gambit yet.” Nell said quietly. Behind her, the ghost muttered something incoherent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked back at Jadyn. “I guess I owe you and your team a congratulations. Not bad for a blueberry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s anger flared at the deragatory name used to call incompetent teammates in Crucible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop.” Solomon said next to her, where nobody else could hear him. “I know exactly what you’re thinking and it isn’t worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you better watch your back. There’s nobody better at this game than me and don’t you forget it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t bother replying as Nell briskly turned on her heels and stalked out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What was that all about?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her, Drifter was getting a big chuckle out of the confrontation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh man! That one is a spitfire! She’s hella competitive! And she backs up that talk! Tops the leaderboard rankings in invader kills. Other teams hate it when they have to face her down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kinda like what Cass was saying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s what I like to see! Competitiveness where you all push one another to get that win! You ever want to go and vent...Gambit awaits.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.</p><p>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Memory of Cayde</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, Brav's back with another chapter! Here, we get ready for the trip out to the Reef. I'd say more, but that would be spoiling stuff.</p><p>Thanks to Solsabre and TaquetoCagy for letting me use their characters in this chapter. Without further ado.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“That’ll be all.” Jadyn nodded to Bjorne in the dimly lit tavern as she tilted her head and downed yet another shot of amber liquid, placing it beside several others.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know I’m going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow if Solomon refuses to heal me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The burly retired titan gave her a nod in return, collecting the empty glasses and swiping the glimmer that she had left on the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn blinked to clear her head, finding that she needed some fresh air. She passed by something curled up in the corner and knelt down to give the tamed cabal war beast an affectionate scratch on the head. Bjorne, the owner of the tavern had also run it as an open secret hunter den, but catered to all guardians and the public alongside the fan favorite Timber, who vigilantly patrolled the floor for crumbs and chicken wings that were occasionally dropped or thrown his way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only a week since she went back inside her apartment after playing a match of Gambit with Cass. With the Vanguard assigning every available guardian to hunt down escaped prisoners in the largest outbreak in its history, it was only a matter of time before she would be tasked herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But so far, she had seemed to skate under the radar. She could’ve chalked it up to Storm, her fireteam leader, likely advocating to Zavala that she was set on bringing Uldren and the fallen that followed him to justice.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You gotta promise me. Put Uldren in the ground. And get the Ace of Spades back. If anyone’s worthy enough to use it. ‘ts you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I thought you would be gone by now. I would attempt to assuade you from your course, but it would only insult us both.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“On the edge of the Reef, lies a wasteland called the Tangled Shore. That’s where you’ll find Uldren. I won’t stop you from going. But Zavala, he would cling to the broken pieces of the future he imagined until they crumble in his hand. He hasn’t seen what I’ve seen. Ever since the Traveler woke, it’s been speaking to me. Visions of crowns, roses, silver trees. Candles that turn into bonfires. And I’m not the only one either, if you see something new, don’t be afraid to pursue it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I wish I could help you more. But the City needs a unified Vanguard now more than ever...or at least the illusion of one.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Throwing another hasty thanks at Bjorne and lazily petting Timber one last time, Jadyn exited the bar, opting for an evening stroll to help clear her mind...as Solomon had suggested countless times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lady Gunnora Park was one of her favorite hangouts down from the wall, a perfect mixture of natural beauty, surrounded by the urban jungle. Parts of it were covered by large thick tree canopies as a winding stream cut through the center, snaking in and out. A bronze statue of the Iron Lord of the park’s namesake was in the center, one foot stepping on a stone with her signature axe in one hand and a shotgun in the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So everything’s set.” Solomon sighed. “Amanda’s fueling the ship, we’ve got enough food to last us for a while...and I assume you’ve gotten the appropriate gear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Jadyn found her favorite bench; one just next to Gunnora’s statue that overlooked the majority of the park and water...beyond was more of the City buildings with a Dawning Tree of lights coming on as the sun began to set.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” His voice turned sincere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think what we’re doing is right? I mean...part of it says no. Zavala’s already told me that he doesn’t approve of me going out on my own quest for revenge. But I can’t stand the fact these fallen are out there running free while I sit here waiting for bureaucrats to twiddle their thumbs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t kidding either. The political fallout from the major representatives in the Consensus was chaotic to say the least. Some were in her and Ikora’s boat in demanding they send guardian teams to the Tangled Shore on a manhunt...while others harshly criticized Zavala for his inaction and statement to instead protect the city over retaliation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t approve when she voiced that she’d go and do it herself...but he didn’t make a move to stop her either.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He knows how much Cayde meant to me and it would be cowardice as Ikora said to turn a blind eye to this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t really say.” Solomon said after a while, bringing Jadyn’s thoughts back to the present. “It’s right because we can’t turn a blind eye to this...but we’re going to be on our own. No official sanction, no backup. If we’re caught and turned over...we could be disavowed as rogue operatives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Would we? Is this really past the moral boundaries that we’d be exiled from home? That can’t be. I have my team and they would come for me...right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn hated to think of the idea that sunk into her head that no such rescue would be attempted. It would be true. With City-Reef relations a constant rollercoaster of warm and cold, there was little any envoy would do to break a guardian out operating right under the Reef's nose and spying on a "trusted ally" no matter her accomplishments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m still going to be with you on this.” Solomon said quietly to assure her. “You’re my guardian and even if everyone else is against us, I’ll still stand with you. We’ve done too much to break up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Solomon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She unwrapped the last memoir that Cayde had apparently bequeathed to her in the event of his passing that Ikora had given him. With flame retardant fabric and a healthy charcoal shading; she was amazed to see a white spade on the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A memory of Cayde. To wear wherever I go. Take a part of him with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a long trip to the Tangled Shore,” Solomon had looked at Ikora’s coordinates she had given him. “And we could be there for a while. No telling when we’d be able to see the City again. Are you sure you want to leave tomorrow? Maybe at least tell your team that you’re leaving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” She firmly said. “None of them would understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not even your fellow hunters?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn paused, but figured they were either preoccupied or moving on in their own way. Either or, it wasn’t worth it. Ailsa was nowhere to be found and Marcus busied himself with his own projects and probably would’ve said something insensitive at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Still his usual jerk self. Why does he have to be like that all the time?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll need your rest.” Solomon said. “Why don’t we hit up that burger place you’ve been itching to try since it opened? No telling when we’ll get food this good again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That actually sounds good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn managed a subtle nod, getting up from her spot.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>One thing people often underestimated about Jadyn was her ravenous appetite. Unafraid to try new foods that constantly sprung up in the Tower and in the City itself, she made sure Solomon was up to date about the latest trends to grace the melting pot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Banh Mi burgers were apparently the new craze at a restaurant that opened on a busy street corner of the Moda District in a place called the Overland Mezzanine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t far from Lady Gunnora Park, so she paid the small glimmer fee on the citywide MagLev rail transit system and gripped an overhanging strap as it accelerated down the track, paying little mind to the car’s other occupants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hardly anyone spared her a second glance. She had a typical lithe armor of a hunter and one of her cloaks flowing elegantly behind. Guardians were seldom seen in the City and despite the superhero reverence they were often held in, she was glad they were still treated like normal folk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw a pair of hazel eyes linger on her and turned to meet the person’s gaze. A girl who looked to be in her early twenties noticed the extended period of eye contact and looked away...rather quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Odd.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The overhead speakers droned on the train approaching the station named Overland Mezzanine, which was home to a large outdoor shopping area with a handful of affluent high-end shops. Jadyn waited for other passengers to disembark before leaving herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but appreciate the liveliness of the Moda District. Even before the Red War, it was known for being a center for the hip and happening with a lot of young people. Suddenly she was surrounded by people close to her age just about everywhere. Couples walked the sidewalks hand in hand and the air had lively music drifting overhead as street performers lined the sides, playing instruments or doing other fancy tricks to earn glimmer in the bowls at their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your heartbeat is finally relaxed.” Solomon noted as she had found an open seat after ordering at the counter. Jadyn had also ordered a bottle of beer and took an idle sip, giving people a tentative glance. “And I’ve already seen at least two boys look at you since you got here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What is it with you and trying to get me hooked up with someone?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought irritably. <em>I'</em></span>
  <span>
    <em>m</em>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span> perfectly fine single.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She did catch one man giving her a long appreciative look and flashed him a flirty smile, earning one in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cute...but you’re not my type.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were right Solomon.” Jadyn said quietly. “Maybe this was something I needed. It feels like this is going to be the first time I’m actually doing something without supervision. And I can’t tell if that’s a good thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon twirled his shell. “I know what you mean. Us doing this...we’re not going as heroes. We’re going to dole out justice to the people that deserve it for what they did. When we come back,” he trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not going to be showered with flowers and praise like every other time we averted a crisis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah that. No red carpet. I just want to make sure you’re okay with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am. Even Zavala said it would be an insult not to have this go unpunished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you doing this by yourself?” Solomon asked. “Your team is worried about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well my team wasn’t here when I needed them.” Jadyn said rather sourly. “They all had their own excuses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde asked just for you. You can't blame them for that. Cass got you to play Gambit.” He reminded her. “I wouldn’t say that they didn’t try. I’m sorry, but it’s also kind of your fault for not reaching out to anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He got me there.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was about to say something else when two figures set their trays beside hers at the table. Coincidentally; her food had come out at the same time; a pork banh mi burger with russett potato duck fat fries. Both the other guardians had beer bottles of the same City brand brewery that was popular throughout.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh by the Traveler. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn’s stomach growled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That looks...so...freaking...good!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>However her mood soured even more as her fellow hunters Ailsa Matasan and Marcus Lynch seemingly were able to track her down.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay maybe I did openly voice how I’ve wanted to try this place.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice evening.” Ailsa greeted softly, sitting next to her close friend. Cayde may have been her mentor, but it was the awoken hunter...the eldest of the team that openly vouched for her to join Razoredge when it needed a replacement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” She avoided Marcus’ eyes as he sat across from her and wordlessly dug into his food. “How did you guys know I was gonna be here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been dying to try it out. Marcus here’s been on an empty stomach since his </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kumite-kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the glorified pole dance.” She smirked while attacking the burger with her well-known appetite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch it.” Marcus’ eyes narrowed, although he stopped to realize that she had been down and the jab wasn’t all what it meant to be. “You’re still rusty last time you tried it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>Well excuse me. I'm not a damn arcstrider like you. </em>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kumite-kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a traditional duel fought that was more than a decade old between hunters who followed the arcstrider discipline. Often done as practice, but many arcstriders partook as bragging rights for respect and honor among their peers. Unlike the other hunter disciplines of gunslingers and nightstalkers; arcstriders favored their agility, quick movements to locate and exploit their foes weaknesses up close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knew Marcus was an excellent arcstrider and he tended to improvise quickly, relying on other techniques like hand-to-hand fighting and grappling if he didn’t have his staff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I should tell you both.” She sighed. “I’ve decided to take a trip to the Reef to try and find Cayde’s killers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought the Vanguard was looking into any leads.” Ailsa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what they said publicly. But I’ve made up my mind to go and dole out justice myself. Cayde deserves that at the least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think you have the free will to go and do that? Did Zavala and Ikora give you their blessing or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well if your jerk ass would let me finish,” Jadyn narrowed her eyes at him. “The commander himself told me that he wasn’t going to just roll over while the fallen that murdered him ran wild out there. Ikora gave me a tip on where they were headed...a huge barren wasteland in the Reef called the Tangled Shore.” She saw Ailsa's face light up in recognition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s your plan?” He asked her. “Roll right into the middle of a place you barely know. There’s a reason the Vanguard doesn’t often sign off missions that take us to the Tangled Shore...you think the other parts of the frontier are rough? There is no such thing as asking politely out there and chances are you’re in the sights of someone wherever you go. It’s lawless for a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it's not be that bad.” Ailsa chided him. “Even if that is true, there’s still some form of authority out there to keep all the scoundrels from shooting up the place every day. You violate that and you'll have a bad time if you venture back out there again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like we’ll be far out of contact. The Vanguard’s Dasa Base is a spot where I can rest up and resupply...maybe get a comfortable bed. Or maybe I just sleep in my ship’s quarters. It’s not like I’ll be on a rock all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you’re not getting any more help.” Marcus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Vanguard’s tied up with securing the escapees and gathering intelligence for other threats. The Red Legion isn’t fully driven out of the system and we’ve been seeing a large scale operation in the Reef by the House of Dusk. They’re encroaching on the others. I’m on my own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I honestly wish you would think this through.” He said, popping a fry into his mouth. “You’re going in with no plan, hoping Uldren and the fallen following him are just going to show their faces.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt a ripple of anger flow through her. “I’m not doing that! I have a plan and I’m going to stick with it. This is Cayde we’re talking about here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I don’t know that? What makes this any different than going to search and rescue a missing fireteam on Venus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unlike you, Cayde wasn’t just a Vanguard or a friend.” She snapped irritably, chiding herself internally for letting his own cynical attitude bait her into another argument. “Cayde was my mentor...someone who taught me everything I know about being a hunter and guardian. Where were you when that happened when you had that someone? You were right in my spot. More than once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could see a vein throbbing in Marcus’ head and knew she had struck a nerve. Although she did regret it initially, the fact he was being so insensitive to her grief was something she wasn’t going to sit idly and take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The hell do you know? Where are you thinking that your pain from losing a friend is greater than anyone else’s? We’ve all had to make sacrifices and lost people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you should know what I’m going through right now. And unlike you, I’m choosing to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> about it rather than brood and work on guns all day, pretending that helps me get over losing close friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s always the problem with women. So emotional.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So sexist of you to say that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Look who’s talking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Both hunters stopped when Ailsa put a hand on their chests and glared at them. The commotion had attracted a lot of attention from fellow diners and passersby on the outside terrace. “That's enough! Can you two kids stop arguing like this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Mom.” Marcus said through clenched teeth. The glare he sent Jadyn as he slowly sat down told her that it wasn’t over.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh it definitely isn’t over. Jerk.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa gently slipped her hand over Jadyn’s. “Listen...we’re all hurting. We’re all grieving. Cayde was a friend to all, not just you and not just to hunters. Believe me when I say we all lost a part of us when he passed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least someone understands. All I wanted was a decent night out in the City, a final attempt to relax before I leave on this unsanctioned excursion. And then the jerk here has to ruin it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s why I’m coming with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa nodded. “Although insensitive...on the outside. Marcus is still right. You’ll need a much more developed plan than just rushing into the Tangled Shore guns blazing. That Dasa Base is probably our best bet. We can get in touch with people who know the layout of the Tangled Shore and begin our search. Marcus will come with us too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up,” He held up his hands. “I’ll be busy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you won’t.” Jadyn firmly said. “I want you with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a hunter affair.” Ailsa added. “Please Marcus. It would mean a lot to him...and both of us. As long as you and Jadyn don’t go trying to tear each others’ throats out. I know you’re not so bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, she’s just gotten used to me.” He hesitated a moment before nodding, signifying his agreement to join them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ate their meals in relative silence as it settled over the group and Jadyn actually found it nice to have her fellow hunters standing with her despite nobody else doing so. She hoped this wouldn’t mean a rift in the team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When are you planning to leave?” Marcus asked her. He seemed a little hesitant to talk...given their confrontation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Early tomorrow morning. It’s an eleven hour flight to the Reef and I personally don’t want to sleep on my ship if I can help it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the trio finished their food, Jadyn offered to take their trays to the trash bin. As she stood up and walked over; she saw Marcus narrow his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, he sprang up with the reflexes befitting of a hunter and vaulted over the metal railing that segregated the eatery from the sidewalk and sprinted down the walkway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Jadyn and Ailsa exchanged a confused glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then the gunslinger noticed the Cadye Memory cloak she planned to switch out was missing. Her eyes darted to the figure sprinting away from the scene with Marcus in hot pursuit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My cloak!” She cried. “No! Not my cloak!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t lose that!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa was already over the railing by the time Jadyn hurriedly threw the trays into the wastebasket as they ran right after Marcus, none of them intent on letting the thief get away.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The figure was smaller than them, moving swiftly through the throngs of people, cutting to the side as indignant shouts arose. It helped the hunters as it telegraphed the person’s location by the commotion going on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had to give this person credit. They were fast. Following Marcus as best she could; they rounded the corner and suddenly turned down an alley. The thief was surprisingly nimble, weaving around a dumpster and corner using just one hand to stop and steer. They then jumped on top of it, over a wall on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Guardians, they didn’t require that sort of parkour to clear an obstacle. The Light allowed them to jump up incredible heights that no normal person would be able to without the aid of specialized gear. Guardians often used this to their advantage by relocating or even clearing another story of a building without the use of an elevator or stairs. All three of them used their jumps to easily go right over the obstacle without so much of a pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, the thief had been more than ready, grabbing a dumpster just as Jadyn closed in and tilting it over. She had no time to stop or dodge as a slide of filthy garbage suddenly appeared in her path. The ground was suddenly slick and she felt herself slip, falling into a roll on the ground with her outfit splashed with a brownish orange film. The smell was extremely putrid and she fought back the urge to gag while wiping as much as she could off.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh perfect.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she knew it, a pair of hands had grabbed her firmly under her arms, pulling her back to her feet. Marcus was right behind her and saw her fall, swooping down to get her up again. She was about to say something snarky when she realized now probably wasn’t the time...something he’d probably point out to her right away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move your ass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That act seemed to buy the thief a little bit of time and they saw a whipping of a hooded figure head straight into the MagLev station Jadyn had gotten off to visit the eatery. She and Marcus sprinted across the street, ignoring the horns they elicited by the automobiles they ran in front of.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not really a good time to pay the fee. I hope it’s understandable. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn vaulted over the pay gate and jumped onto the platform overlooking the four tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Overland Mezzanine was a hub station, a connecting point for three different lines. Which made it among the busier ones. Only one of the tracks was occupied and the red lines along the edge of the platform meant that it was out of service and not active.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn scanned the crowd, putting her hands on the railing and trying to pick out the brown hoodie. There were clothes of all kinds from clean fashionable, to the flamboyant to the simple and even tattered, since the stations often attracted a number of homeless beggars.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come on Jadyn.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She yelled at herself. Certainly finding one person couldn’t be that hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see her.” Solomon said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, the thief is a woman. Didn’t you notice her smaller features?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just because they have small features doesn’t mean it’s a woman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was at the other end of the staircase, remaining on the ground level to provide a second set of eyes. She knew that he had the best glimpse of her and knew who he was looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx says they don’t see her either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other end of the station; she could see Ailsa had joined them, remaining along the inert track and ready to cut off the thief at a moment’s notice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The roar of two more trains arriving from opposite directions brought them on alert. They all knew that the thief could use the distraction of people entering and leaving the trains as a mask for escape and it was a fifty fifty chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or she could pretend to get aboard, fooling them into boarding as well and then escaping at the last moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyone see her?” Solomon asked his fellow ghosts. He got two negatives as their guardians continued to scan the area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn watched as the Century Line train was preparing to depart. Next to it, the lights on the Ridgeback Line train flashed, indicating it was set to leave shortly thereafter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mind the Gap.” The disembodied male voice droned over the chatter and movements of everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped and locked onto a familiar dark hoodie, crossing over to the Century Line platform and stepping on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Century Line! She got on the train!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately Marcus went right after it, the platform lights flashing rapidly to indicate its imminent departure. Ailsa jumped up where Jadyn previously watched, knowing the younger hunter would join him in chase of the thief. She was up there to make sure she didn’t double back to try and lose her pursuers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was closer and nearly onboard the train when the girl turned around. Jadyn’s mouth fell agape when she recognized her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The same one on the train that was staring at me. Did she really think a guardian was worth stealing from?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, the woman pushed an awoken out of the open door and straight into Marcus’ arms. Reflexively, he had reached out to catch her...but the distraction was just enough time for the doors to slide themselves close with a hiss and the train began to move out of the station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After making sure the woman in his arms was okay, the arcstrider was livid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That little shit. I should’ve expected that.” He glared at the train beginning to pick up speed. By now it was beginning to fully exit the station. If they weren’t able to board the train, the woman would likely vanish into the wind unless they could hypothetically intercept her in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus turned to her. “I’ll give you a push.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you?” She blurted out, knowing that he was also one not to give up on a chase like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wordlessly he crouched down low, spread his arms out while facing the wall. This wasn't time to discuss anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stood a dozen feet behind and sprinted forward, her eyes locked firmly on the departing train.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The move was something she had seen in those viral videos of guardians doing incredibly acrobatic feats. Combined with the Light to aid their jump, a guardian was able to be launched even greater heights when aided by another if done right. The launcher was normally a titan, given that they were physically stronger than their peers...however warlocks and hunters could do the same in a pinch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she passed by Marcus, he threw his arms around her waist, using the strength of all his limbs to slingshot her body up and out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt as if she had been bashed headfirst by a cabal phalanx shield as the train came closer beneath her. She descended just halfway from the last car when it began to go even faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her landing was a little bit awkward, on her side and she slid down the smooth surface, a bit of panic going through as she failed to find anything solid to grab on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She finally found purchase with a latch handle and pulled on it, steadying herself just enough to jump over to the train’s coupling. Before long, the cars would be going fast enough that she’d be blown off like an insect on the windshield.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Passengers stared at her as she strode into the car, likely having been scared shitless after her abrupt landing at the back. Jadyn ignored them and kept going over faces. None matched the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or maybe it's because I smell like garbage after she threw all that on me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is a waste of time. She probably duped us all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she got a breakthrough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A familiar brown hoodie sat in the middle car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving swiftly, Jadyn passed through the pressurized tube that was above the coupling...something that riders weren’t supposed to do and went right up to the woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hang on. Something isn’t right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn reached out, grabbing the top of the hood and pulling it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only to find out it was being worn by a middle aged man. He furrowed his eyebrows at her brazen action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did you get this?” She snapped, not really into apologizing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some girl...she gave me a little bit of glimmer for my own jacket!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did she go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She went up to the front car. Looked in a hurry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced up, having to go through another set of doors to get there. “What color was your jacket?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Black...it has a bloody knife art on the front.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She studied him for a second. The hoodie looked a little too snug and he was likely wearing one that would be two sizes too large. If anything, the poor fit would give her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Approaching next station. Renfrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had to hurry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crossing over to the front car; she immediately saw the girl in the same description of the jacket the man had told her. She looked up as the door opened and froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have something that belongs to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?!” The girl asked her defiantly. “Stay the hell away from me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me back my cloak.” The hunter realized it sounded rather trivial to go through all of this just for a cloak...something she could easily get in the various outfitters in the Tower. But not this cloak. It was too important to her and she wasn’t about to let a lowlife run off with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell no lady. Hunter cloaks sell too much. You know how hard it is to get shards around here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn briefly thought about maybe tasking Solomon to look through the multiple databases to see if a matching description for it would come up. She could then set up as a customer and buy it back. It would end up costing glimmer and the more valuable legendary shards...but at least she would be in possession of it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Phaedra...not like you care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn got a good look at her. She looked in her late teens or early twenties...strikingly close to her own biological age when she was resurrected by Solomon. Long dark hair with fair skin and hazel eyes. She studied the hunter opposite her with apprehension.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That cloak is important to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care. This makes glimmer and shards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sighed, knowing that using her light to try and force it back wouldn’t end well. Guardians using their enhanced abilities to threaten or intimidate civilians was highly looked down by both the Consensus and the Vanguard. Zavala and the Cormorant Blade often incited strict punishments to minimize violators.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw that the train was now slowing down and pulling into Renfrow station. Phaedra tensed, ready to make a run for it as soon as the train’s door opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thief never got that chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned, coming face to face with Marcus, who gave her a penetrating stare and frown etched on his features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re getting on my nerves.” He growled. Jadyn couldn’t tell if it was directed at Phaedra or her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She seemed ready to try that trick and push a bystander into him, but he was more than ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn watched with amazement as she turned to run. Marcus fired something from his wrist, a long metal wire that hit the bag that Phaedra happened to be carrying and snapped it back to himself, catching a pair of small cylindrical canisters instead of the cloak like he had intended. "Good try."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Phaedra cried, jumping for them, but stopped...coming to terms that he now possessed leverage himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cherry pie huh? I’ll make you a deal. The cloak for these.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What is that anyway? Drugs?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"What’s it gonna be?” He asked her. “You’ve got a chance to do this without it getting sour. Otherwise I’ll just steal the cloak back anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phaedra scoffed after a moment, seeing how it wasn’t worth the trouble despite the potential output. “Deadfreaks. Always self-righteous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amazingly, Jadyn saw Marcus hold his tongue at the common derogatory name City folk had for guardians. She dug into her bag, showing the cloak was neatly folded like she had received it from Ikora and tossed it on the ground in between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She immediately walked over, relieved that it hadn’t been damaged. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phaedra only rolled her eyes as Marcus casually flipped the canisters back to her. The thief caught them in her hands and tucked them into her bag. Sprinting off into the crowd; she disappearing from sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters stood there for a couple moments, ignoring the stares of the others coming and going from another train on the opposite track.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now store that where you’re not gonna get pickpocketed.” Solomon warned her. “We’re not doing this again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No argument here.” Jadyn said, doing just that. She then was folding her arms and glaring at Marcus. “I had that under control.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a funny way to say, thank you Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the earlier tension from the eatery start to return, again feeling a little humiliated that her own method on catching the thief was upped by his approach and...grapple cord thingy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” She tried to make it sound as sincere as she possibly could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. See it isn’t that hard to be as genuine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re still infuriating. Even after knowing you for five years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chuckle escaped his mouth. “I get that a lot. Now if you really want to thank me. Go take a shower ASAP. You smell like you swam the triathlon part in a City sewage line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ignored his jab and looked at the device mounted on his arm, not remembering him wear it while they ate. “What is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held it up. “Wire grappler. A little pet project I’ve been working on since I went to hermit myself after Cayde died. Got inspired by some Golden Age and pre-Golden Age pieces of entertainment of fighters using these for a variety of purposes like gaining height advantage to retrieving objects out of reach.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s actually kind of cool. I'd ask you for one if you weren't such a...you know already.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he said quietly. “We better not stick around. If we’re all heading to the Reef tomorrow; we best get some shut-eye and get out of here before anyone starts asking questions.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So a few things on this chapter.</p><p>Banh Mi is a Vietnamese staple food...specifically a bread that has a crisp firm crust and a soft airy inside similar to a baguette (which makes sense given Vietnam's French colonial roots during the Imperialism period). The filling is a variety of things in Vietnamese cuisine like pork sausage, cilantro, pickled daikon, carrots and cucumber. A burger variant also happens to be featured in the official Destiny cookbook!</p><p>The statue of Gunnora's posture is based on actual statues honoring deceased figures with the posture urban legend...it's not an equestrian statue but the concept is the same.<br/>If the horse in the statue has both legs off the ground, standing on its hind...that indicates the rider died in battle.<br/>If the horse in the statue has one leg off the ground...that indicates the rider was mortally wounded in battle.<br/>If the horse in the statue has all legs on the ground...that indicates the rider died outside of battle.</p><p>Gunnora has one foot off the ground here...owing to the part she perished alongside her fellow Iron Lords and Iron Wolves during the SIVA crisis.</p><p>Thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Favor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone. Brav here with another chapter in probably the quickest update you'll get with this story! We've got another character who I find is one of the more intriguing on both ends of the spectrum. Definitely a fun one to write and I might have more use for them later on, even though they were only supposed to appear for a short time.<br/>Enjoy everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Despite heeding Solomon’s suggestion to turn in early, Jadyn found herself unable to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to find some sort of peace in a fitful rest. Everything was tried; putting on fans and turning on the unit’s air conditioning. It may have been approaching autumn within a couple of weeks, but the temperatures still kept up to warrant short sleeve shirts and shorts everywhere. Marcus in particular wasn’t fond of hot weather...and there were times she wanted to hit him in the jaw for countless crabby complaints about sweating in his armor. He still had a point...she wasn’t a fan of humid sticky heat either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh, stop thinking about him. Even though he’s relatable.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost succeeded in nodding off, but at the last moment one jumpship flew rather close to her apartment and the engine’s roar snapped her eyes open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Goddammit. Go the fuck to sleep.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She resisted the urge to don a set of workout clothes and do reps in the middle of the night. It was bound to rouse Solomon out of his dormant phase and he’d be asking her why she was doing something so vigorous at such an unusual hour. For a being that didn't require any form of rest, he was notably cranky when disturbed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe she ought to try meditation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both warlocks on Razoredge; Etalan Cyor and Cassius Castonzo partook in it, somehow able to focus and relax themselves while freeing from all distractions. Somehow, they were able to feel as if they had a full night’s rest with one hour of sleep doing this. None of the hunters or Storm...the team’s leader and lone titan had even thought about attempting it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It could be time to try something new. Doesn’t help to broaden horizons.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jadyn closed her eyes, keeping her focus and doing her best to block out the ambient noises of the City outside. While active during the day; it was an open secret that many hip and happening areas had restaurants, bars and clubs that contributed to a rather vibrant nightlife. She knew that quite well, having been to a nightclub with Ailsa on more than one occasions. Sleep still managed to elude her, but she found herself picturing large ghostly white trees...and red flowers that bloomed all at once as far as the eye could see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually her breathing settled into a predictable rhythm and her body relaxed, finally slipping away into sleep’s seductive embrace.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess the meditation thing worked. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She dryly thought as she carried a pair of long duffel bags in each hand down towards the tower’s main hangar. It was a quick breakfast before Solomon automatically moved the last of her MRE packs onboard in her ship’s food pantry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She submitted a maintenance frame permission to enter sometime during her trip to tidy things up and remove old food that would likely become spoiled. Her fridge and apartment pantry had a bin where such things could be placed for disposal. Anything else was off limits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus and Ailsa were already there next to a blonde human female with grease stained coveralls and a pair of mechanic frames. In the center docking racks stood the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span> beside Ailsa’s ship </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Marcus’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And there’s the favorite guardian of the Tower.” Shipwright Amanda Holliday gave Jadyn a salute and smiled warmly. An orphan of nomads who made an arduous journey to the Last City, there were few minds who had the intimate knowledge of jumpships and sparrows as her. The Vanguard’s effort was a constant demand on guardian’s means of transport and she was consistently one of the hardest workers on the line...eventually moving up to Shipwright and directed every bit of maintenance and repairs of the vehicles used in everyday operations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Amanda.” The two of them shared a sisterly relationship and embraced each other warmly. Holliday kept her own body apart in case any grease happened to smear on Jadyn’s polished armor. “Thanks for getting all our rides ready.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re all prepped, fueled and re-armed.” She winked at Marcus. “Next time...tell me in advance my priority list gets tripled. It’s hard talking Dead Orbit from badgering me all the time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ailsa approached both of them. “Are you ready?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jadyn took one last look at the Tower...it was very possible she might not be seeing this again for quite some time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. I’m ready.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’ve got all three of you signed off. Go ahead and get in your rides and get clearance. I’ll prep you for launch.” Amanda stopped and froze when a figure appeared at the end, striding towards them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Praxic Order.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Praxic Order was a collective of warlocks that was as old as the City itself. Wearing black and gold robes, they had took it upon themselves to keeping artifacts of the Darkness out of Guardian hands to prevent corruption. Recently, they had started a role that played internal affairs to try and gather intelligence on both the City’s enemies and dissidence within the Vanguard’s ranks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A lot of the warlocks were generally considered to be quite zealous and their presence always put on a sense of unease with others. They rarely showed themselves so openly unless something was incredibly dire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus seemed to recognize this one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> bitch again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The warlock in question homed right in on them, flashing a shiny Cormorant seal to the four of them. “Guardians. Aunor Mahal. Praxic Order.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her gaze centered on Marcus, not bothering to partake in any form of pleasantries. She got right to business. “I need to speak with guardian Lynch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ailsa opened her mouth to say something, but the warlock’s fiery gaze turned in her direction, stopping her in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless you’re off to do something of your own?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Patrol.” Jadyn automatically lied. “Orders just came in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aunor narrowed her eyes. “With that amount of gear? Where are you going? Nessus?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine.” Marcus waved a hand at the girls, irritated that it had to be him of all people a Praxic warlock wanted to talk with. “I’ll be a little while. Go ahead and start. I’ll catch up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” Jadyn shrugged before asking Solomon. “What does the Praxic Order want with Marcus anyway?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How would I know?”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Marcus and Aunor stood side by side without speaking or looking at one another as the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend </span>
  </em>
  <span>moved out from the hangar entrance. Jadyn leaned over from her seat in the cockpit and gave a wave which he returned. He gave a longing glance at <em>Raythe. </em>Guess flying her again would take a little longer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s actually kind of nice of Jadyn to do that. Or I'm just getting more appreciative of her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This shouldn’t take long.” Aunor said. “How do you like your coffee?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That got a reaction out of Marcus and he turned to face her. She had the features that were common of people who hailed from the southern area of the Asian continent. Dark tanned skin with high cheekbones and short black hair. He would almost consider her ruggedly attractive, except the fact that she never smiled or even made any indication that she was happy or anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Might as well be a maintenance frame for all that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Coffee?” The drink was rare to find in the City and notoriously expensive due to the limited supply. He was surprised to hear her offering.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>True to her word; Aunor bought them a pair of the hot caffeinated beverage from a stand in the Tower Bazaar and they sat down at a table that overlooked the City. Sure enough, they drew attention from both guardians and non...it was definitely unusual to see a warlock of the Praxic Order looking even a bit casual with another guardian. Strangely, he found himself a little peeved that she had dragged him from his team to talk...like it was a date or something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re probably wondering why I asked to speak with you.” Aunor said after a few minutes of silence while they sipped their drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I assume so. Since you didn’t want to ask me on a first date.” <em>Not that I'd say yes anyway.</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A date?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. People go on first dates to get things like coffee and tea all the time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The warlock resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of something so materialistic. “Do I look like the dating type?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. You look annoyed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus was surprised when Aunor’s stoic demeanor slipped and the corner of her lip curled upwards in an approving smile. He knew of her reputation, even within the Order itself and it kind of intimidated him. No way he would say anything to admit it outright.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I have some things to discuss with you. I truly apologize for having to pull you aside from your team.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The coffee makes up for it.” Marcus found his personal preference to be a double double like Aunor had ordered. Two shots of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar made for a well balanced earthy flavor. Truly a rare treat, compared to even before the Golden Age when it was revered highly enough to be considered as essential as currency and other energy resources.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here to gather information on an IA ongoing investigation of guardian Jadyn Amaris in the wake of Cayde-6’s death. Reports say that she attempted to come to his rescue too late and that her relationship with the late Hunter Vanguard may have had a hand in his passing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t like where this was going. He leaned forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe Jadyn’s story when she told us that she was still fighting her way through the Prison of Elders when she and Solomon sensed his ghost being destroyed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That may be, but I still believe there is a motive behind her moving slowly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay this is already bullshit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Would you still charge in guns blazing if you were up against an enemy you didn’t know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Judging from Jadyn’s previous operations reports, I’d say she’s done that more than once. Look at the strike against the shield brothers in the Dreadnaught.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. Storm and I were on her team when we took them down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you should know that I have to cover every possible angle of Cayde’s murder being an attempt to disrupt Vanguard and City leadership no matter how farfetched or outlandish. Guardian Amaris was Cayde’s prodigy and would possibly be the perfect candidate to succeed him as eventual Hunter Vanguard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus actually laughed out loud. “You really believe that? What makes you think she'd do something so audacious? Jadyn hates bureaucracy as much as she hates me. She doesn’t want to sit at a table, listening to Zavala and Ikora bicker about pointless shit. She wants to go, get her hands dirty and put bullets into the enemies of humanity. To me...there’s no incentive or reason to even think she would leave Cayde to die for a moment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aunor sipped her drink again. “So you don’t think she had a motive?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. If anything, she was doing her damndest to make sure he </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> die. After the funeral service, we all tried to get her to socialize with the rest of us again. No avail. Our teammate Cass was able to get her out for a match of the new Gambit fad. She was too shut in and was with Ikora when she voiced that we go on a manhunt to the Reef to destroy Uldren.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He suddenly stopped himself, seeing the end of her mouth curl upwards again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit...I got played.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very interesting. Our very own hero of the Red War gallivanting on her own journey to find vengeance against the man who murdered her mentor. It’s almost like a bad film in reality.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t talk about her like that.” He snapped, suddenly surprising himself on being so defensive of her. “What she does is her business.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And yours too? Judging by the requests you had put in with the Shipwright, you, Amaris and Matasan all requested your ships to be outfitted for a long journey, enough fuel to reach the Reef. Not your business you say? So is this personal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s personal? My relationship to Jadyn? Or an unspoken vendetta?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Both.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The moment news broke out that Uldren murdered Cayde in cold blood...every hunter in the bloody Vanguard wanted nothing more than to get their hands on him and rip him apart. You’ve got an entire class of guardians demanding his head. Of course it’s an unspoken vendetta! And you have to believe the Vanguard’s lack of a response to this is complete bullshit. Jadyn and I don’t always see eye to eye. She gets on my nerves. But we agreed that some action was better than none. And trust me; if she or anyone on our team were to ever turn their backs on the City for whatever selfish reasons...I’d be the first to book them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does she get under your skin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She just does. I can’t explain it. On the field, she’s an excellent teammate. Off it...there’s usually more yelling and it can be much nastier between us. Been called a jerk by her multiple times. Can’t help because she doesn’t have thick skin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aunor sighed. “Believe me that I’m frustrated too about Zavala’s inaction. However I have bigger fish to fry and my job is making sure the City doesn’t fall to the Darkness from the inside out. Going on a wanton journey to kill off fallen in the Reef is hardly my concern. Guardian Amaris...is my concern and the fact she’s taking an unsanctioned mission without Vanguard approval is highly unusual for someone so enamoured in the eyes of the public.” Aunor leaned forward. “And that is why I asked to speak with you specifically. I’m well aware of what you, Amaris and Matasan intend to go and do. I can’t say I approve or disapprove, but anyone stepping out of line when we’re at war here raises a lot of questions, good and bad. I have a request for you to carry out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This will be the first time Amaris has knowingly stepped outside the boundaries for her own personal reasons. And yet you’re following her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus wasn’t about to say that he initially resented the idea of coming along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m with her on this whole thing. There's no point in turning my back on her now. It'd go against everything I've said.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You keep an eye on her. The Praxic Order has every reason to believe that she could turn to be a threat to the future of the Vanguard and the City.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay that’s a bunch of bullshit. First off, why me? Why not ask Storm or someone else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you said it yourself. You’d be the first to book her if she ever went rogue. The terms between you two are amicable bordering mutual dislike. This keeps things stable within your own fireteam if she finds out one of your own has been monitoring her behind her back. You're the last person she would expect because of your ties.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That doesn’t make it sting any less.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you assume I’d willingly destroy my relationship with her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not. I’m not one for close fraternization within a team such as yourself and Razoredge, but I do understand how being together to fight off common enemies for the safety and security of our City often brings long lasting friendships and sometimes even more. You would be surprised at how many guardians end up getting married after spending so much time together. But my mission and that of the Praxics has always been to put the integrity of the City and the Traveler ahead of all other worldly attachments. If you’re unable to do that...supposedly with a guardian you can’t stand half the time. Then perhaps I was wrong about you in that this isn’t a task you can undertake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus felt as if his own ego was being challenged here. Aunor valued loyalty to the City and the Light over everything else. Despite his self-proclaimed neutral relationship with the famous guardian, he felt as if it would be a massive betrayal and slap in the face if he was going to try and dig up dirt behind her back. If there was any dirt to be found.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve lost friends like she has.” He said finally after a moment of silence. “Mentors...brothers...sisters. People I’ve really cared about. Yet I never turned my back on any of them. There’s no reason to think Jadyn wouldn’t do the same.” His eyes hardened. “Yes, she and I don’t always get along on everything. But she’s still a guardian. We still fight under the same banner, flag for the same cause...the survival of humanity moving forward. Jadyn trusts me to watch her back while we’re out there. Nothing else matters. No petty shit, no grudges, none of that. I trust her too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aunor looked unmoved. “I understand. I’m aware Jadyn would never be our enemy by choice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that. She’d die for any of us. She’d walk right through fire without hesitation if it meant that us as an entire team would return alive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if it’s not her choice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus glared at her, now finally starting to regret being baited by the warlock again and again. “Listen...I don’t know what kind of agenda you have with her...but you need to stop and let her, myself and the rest of our team go do our job shooting up bad guys. There’s no scandal here so you can stop trying to sow a rift between me and my team while patting yourself on the back for a job well done. Suddenly you and I aren’t so different after all. We both put a lot of value on loyalty, except towards different things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up. “The answer is no.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aunor sat there as if pondering his words. “One more thing before you go.” She said icily. “You already know how I am. I admire your loyalty and devotion to your comrades. Truly...I do. However trust can still be broken, even with a bond as strong as you claim to have with the rest of Razoredge and your claimed lukewarm one with guardian Amaris. If I am correct about Jadyn’s intentions to destabilize the Vanguard from the inside out or that she played a part in orchestrating the murder of Cayde-6, I will find out. And if she compromises the integrity of the City...she’ll be facing the full fury of the Praxic Order until a straight and fair action is issued.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stood up. “And the same to anyone else who obstructs our justice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sounds more like a fanatical secret police.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus however was unfazed by Aunor’s thinly veiled declaration. “Are you threatening her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. It’s not a threat. It’s a warning.” She gave a wave to dismiss him, knowing that she had kept him for too long. “Be seeing you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up to match and exceeded her height by a couple of inches, while putting on the best face he could to show that he wouldn’t be so easily intimidated. His hand found the half drunk cup on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for the coffee.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t ever think I’ve seen you that triggered before.” Marcus’ ghost Onyx said as they stalked back to the hangar. Still fresh off his suspicions of Aunor; Marcus had doubled back to the Bazaar and discreetly observed her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If there was anything to indicate she was trying to undermine Razoredge’s integrity, she didn’t show it. Mahal drained the last of her coffee, took one last look around before throwing it in the trash and heading further along the wall to who knows where.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s got some nerve openly asking for me to spy on one of our own.” He muttered back. “Bitch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t fault her. She’s just doing her job.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s what I’d call someone who enjoys their job a little too much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmph.” His ghost twirled her shell in mock sarcasm. “Reminds me of another certain guardian.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gee, I wonder who.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So are you going to do it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marcus fingered the card she had given him with her contact information and ghost strat-comm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t know. I don’t like this one bit. We’ve done too much together as a team to break up like some band that has a falling out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. “But there’s still something that tells me...what if Aunor isn’t wrong? What if it’s not Jadyn’s choice that her actions make her a pariah of the City?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She still has a choice to exact vengeance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But she thinks it’s the right thing to do. So did Osiris when he was exiled.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Osiris redeemed himself.” Onyx reminded him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With Jadyn’s help. Who’s going to redeem her if this all happens?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The rest of Razoredge. Storm, Etalan, Ailsa, Cass...her ghost Solomon...you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha!” Marcus almost wanted to laugh out loud. “I’d be the last person she would want coming to help her. Leave it to me to be affiliated with the hero of the Red War and a bunch of other crises, yet when we try and hang out together...we’re always at one another’s throats.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay I can stand to be a little less abrasive...that’s on me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here...I’ll join her out there. And maybe Aunor’s hunch is right...maybe it isn’t. If there’s nothing to be suspicious about, then I’ll just ignore it all and say so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if there is?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Would it be worth destroying my relationship with the rest of the team because I’m working with the Praxic Order? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He sighed. “I really hope that isn’t the case.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Despite her swearing she wouldn’t do such a thing, Jadyn nodded off during the eleven hour flight to the Reef. Rather than wake her; Solomon kept a careful eye on their heading and other functions, allowing his guardian to enjoy what was probably going to be the last good sleep in a long time even if it was her slouching in the pilot’s chair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last time they had gone out to this desolate badland section of space, they were partaking in a dangerous uprising by the fallen House of Wolves in a rather ambitious Kell known as Skolas who attempted to unite all the warring Houses under his rule and strike back at the awoken and other threats.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jadyn had received a rather lukewarm welcome during her first trip out and knew that this one wouldn’t be much better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The awoken that lived in the Reef remained distant and aloof to City affairs despite there being some trade agreements and diplomatic relations. The Vanguard’s Dasa Base served as an area of operations to help safeguard the Reef and similarly, the acting Regent Commander Petra Venj had established an embassy for the awoken in the Last City.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, relations between the two governments were tense and the awoken kept a frosty attitude toward City dwellers and not all of them appreciated guardians on their doorstep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blackness of space with twinkling lights began to fade out, replaced by a ghastly purple glow with thick hazy clouds. Flying in this area was particularly dangerous due to unpredictable poor visibility. Asteroids posed a hazard to smaller ships, hurtling around in random directions that had claimed countless other ships in their final resting places. The Ragged Valley was one notorious location.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that didn’t count the lurking outlaws, pirates and raiders that stayed on the fringes of the major lanes highlighted to allow shipping and public traffic to traverse. More often than not, a freighter that broke down or stopped to “aid” another turned out to be a ruse and a perfect chance for opportunists to gain easy loot. Supply ships from differing towns were often under escort by the Reef’s Galliot-class multirole fighters to deter pirates from attempting such an attack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Solomon whispered quietly, rousing Jadyn from her nap. “Wake up. We’re here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She let out a boisterous yawn, stretching her muscular limbs and smacked her lips together. “Ugh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You honestly slept better than you did in your own bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you know?” She gave the chair’s supple padding an affectionate pat. “Maybe I was just too tired.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She refreshed herself with a face wash and combed her hair before slipping on her armor. It was a little bulky and uncomfortable sitting back in the pilot’s seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re setting course for the Dasa Base. It’s roughly an hour flight to the Tangled Shore from there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if we took a brief detour?” Jadyn said. “Marcus got questioned by that Aunor chick and Ailsa said she was gonna wait for him and then we’d all meet at the Dasa Base for our next move. The better I can get a lay of the land, the better off we’ll be in trying to find Cayde’s killers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t say I approve.” Solomon’s shell dipped down slightly. “But it doesn’t hurt either. Neither Ailsa or Marcus will be here within the next five hours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we are in agreement.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Stained with spilled blood of the fallen dark uniformed figures that laid limply along the sides, the soft velvety carpet sank briefly as Uldren Sov glanced down with a grimace across his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just twenty feet across the long platform would be where he would stand as the Queen’s right hand and most trusted advisor. Beings of all kinds would come and force themselves to kneel to her Majesty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mara’s own personality and looks belied her ruthlessness, but she was also rational enough to provide aid and help them...but often she had laced other things into said deals that would bind them to the aid of the awoken for years or even the rest of their lives.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he strode across the carpet to approach the empty throne, he saw movement from one of the downed figures. The Queen’s guard still protected the Royal Throne even when she had left. It was an all female unit, handpicked from the very best of what the Armada had to offer and trained extensively. Against Uldren’s fallen however, they stood no chance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uldren?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard had a hand glued to her chest, where he could see void energy from a crossbow marksman rifle had burned three holes into her stomach. She lazily moved as if in a stupor, but he could tell that she was experiencing a mix of surprise and betrayal on his appearance and alliance with the fallen that had swiftly slaughtered the guard posted to the last woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uldren calmly unholstered Ace, flicking the hammer with his thumb. He leveled the barrel at the guard’s chest and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bang of the hand cannon caught the attention of the disfigured fallen closest and they sprawled in with puffs of the noxious blue smoke trails. They growled and snapped their jaws impatiently as they scanned the area with lengthened three pronged rifles that rippled with void power, the same that had spilled the blood of the awoken guard here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ace was holstered as he took one last look at the throne...the one place where his dear sister sat for so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was gone and he was going to see her again. No matter what happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On his left hip, he held a short dagger, the blade a long teardrop shape with purple crystalline material and a razor sharp edge. Another signature weapon of him and his Crows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind him, a mass of larger fallen had gathered. Ranging from his own to three times his size, the band were now the leaders of the self-proclaimed “master” race and faction of fallen that would eventually usurp all others and transcend into eternity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all thanks to a chance meeting of him and a disgraced Archon Priest. Now the fully fledged Scorn army was at optimal strength to execute their next moves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He said to them as they awaited his commands like obedient children. “I am humbled by your gracious acceptance. Mara Sov. My sister, your Queen may be gone. But she is with us now and always.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raising Ace in a gesture of triumph, he beamed at them. “As for you, my friends, my Barons. You embraced me when I was cast out and for that; I gift to you the bounty of the Tangled Shore...and eventually beyond!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His words earned him an uproar of approval from the eight Barons that stood before him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go and unleash upon the fallen...chaos!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By your grace father.” The one closest to him bowed, speaking in a raspy guttural voice. Fikrul the Fanatic picked up his long lightning staff and departed alongside the rest of his peers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except for one. The only Baron that was even bigger than Fikrul himself stalked forward, having already been informed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Machinist’s avaricious nature was renowned through Solis Descent and the Arran Siege by a massive hoard that took up nearly the entirety of the Salvage Zone at the western end of the Tangled Shore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fikrul will be pleased.” She hissed happily as her lean frame relaxed. “However once we take over the whole Shore. We will once again crave violence.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m aware.” Uldren’s mouth turned upwards in a smirk. “And we will no doubt get a fight befitting to satisfy the Scorn’s bloodlust. But we’ve made some bold moves and that’s going to bring us some company.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lightbearers.” Elkyris hissed disdainfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Like her, he had the same loathing for humans, awoken and exos that wielded the light as a weapon to fulfill their own self-righteous goals, all of which were ignorant of their place in the system. It made his own blood boil that awoken were among them, a species far superior to humans. The ultimate act of betrayal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t help that the City had an operating base located so close to the Tangled Shore. And they most certainly monitored activities because of its close proximity to shipping and commercial lanes to Reefedge and many of the other surrounding communities. The moment they suspected any sight of stability in the region was slipping away, it was a clear possibility that a task force would come in to permanently occupy. That disrupted his noble plans...plans to see his sister once again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So it was time to keep them distracted, additionally satiating the Scorn’s own lusts for violence. If they enjoyed anything in their frenzied state, it was fighting with the one goal to slaughter anyone and everyone in their way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have something that will set back the base’s city for years.” Elykris said, nearly bouncing with excitement. “Deploying this will kill and bring the pathetic lightbearers to their knees. We can thank the cabal for their generosity.” What she meant was more of the fact that it was stolen Red Legion ordinance in her raids as the once-feared personal army of Dominus Ghaul attempted to retreat from the core worlds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very well. Target the Dasa Base and get your warriors ready to move.” Uldren narrowed his eyes, indifferent to the huge population of their target, many of them not even fighters themselves. “Kill them all.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“You would be proud.” Uldren spoke out loud, to nobody in particular as the Machinst had left. “The Reefborn’s love for their Queen remains undiminished.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Love is fleeting. But devotion. Now that is forever. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mara’s voice echoed in his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not one of them has shown more strength or devotion than you my dear brother. The awoken cannot be trusted. You and I know that better than anyone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uldren stood up, sheathing the knife and Ace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Together, you and I can give our people the fortune they so richly deserve.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Extinction.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uldren knew she was right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started down the steps from the throne, pausing to pick up one of the lit flaming torches that provided illumination for the Queen’s chambers and looked back at where he and his sister once were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Free me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tossed it to the floor. The once timeless treasures and rich fabrics of their royalty ignited as if doused with gasoline, spreading in a wave that climbed into the throne and to the displays higher up. Within seconds, the entire room was ablaze as the flames licked greedily at the abundant supply of fuel available.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Come brother. We have much to do. Let us see what dreams are made of.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did you all think? Awesome? Awful? The more I wrote out the conversation at the middle of this story, the more intense it became for the better in my opinion.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. High Plains Blues</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys, Brav here with another update! Thanks to NetRaptor for letting me use her character as a brief cameo. Enjoy the chapter everyone!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The scene was otherworldly. Fog hung low like a dense soup that parted on her approach. Up above them there were long rings of debris and scattered dots. It provided both a sense of mystery, danger and uncertainty. Jadyn wasn’t sure whether or not she was excited or nervous. At the far end was a massive curved structure that rose out from the glum with beautiful lines and elven features.</p><p>“The Tangled Shore.” Solomon said. “A lawless frontier of outlaws, scavengers and pirates. Murderers like Uldren and his fallen would fit right in. We need to search everywhere...from the fallen camps in Quitter’s Well to the ancient awoken watchtower on the horizon. Leave no stone unturned. Uldren can’t hide from us.”</p><p>Jadyn found a rather large flat rock that had others around it anchored by long metal cables. It was an open field with dips and crevices, owing to the common treacherous terrain. She settled the <em> Lost Legend </em>onto the rocky surface, keeping the power on idle while guiding it into a secluded section out of sight.</p><p>“Air quality is breathable as are the pressure levels.” As if on cue; the ship hissed to equalize the cabin with the outside. “Let’s hide the ship and lock it down.”</p><p>Jadyn hit a switch at the master console to activate the ramp, allowing a narrow section in the floor to split open to a slope that extended to the ground. As she stepped down, she was assailed immediately by a chilly wind.</p><p><em> Oh Traveler that’s cold! </em>She felt it seep past the joints in her armor against the thermal undersuit she wore. No wonder the organic guardians complained about the temperature and exos were indifferent. She had the latest cold-temperature gear on and was still freezing her butt off, resisting the urge to chatter her teeth or tuck herself into her long cloak when the gusts swept the open area.</p><p>The entire area creaked ominously from subtle movement and the wind as if something was set to come apart at any moment. Some of the other nearby asteroids were close by, allowing her to jump and gain a bit of a vantage point.</p><p>Because she didn’t stop at the Dasa Base which had an active vault where she could move her gear at will; she had to make do with her shotgun and Sleeper Simulant fusion rifle. She kept the new hand cannon she had earned from Drifter at the ready, already liking its rugged cowboy appearance. She was even more pleased that it felt incredible to shoot, having a surprising amount of accuracy and knockback when she tested it at the targeting range in the Tower. It was certainly a keeper.</p><p>
  <em> That Drifter knows how to make a good gun. </em>
</p><p>“Ikora told us that Cayde’s killers are skulking around the Tangled Shore. It’s not much of a lead, but it’s what we’ve got.” Solomon said. “Let’s get to searching. Uldren and his gang of fallen can’t hide from us forever.”</p><p>Jadyn had set her ship as close and concealed as she could to Ikora’s coordinates she had forwarded to Solomon. Like he said, she would have to make do with the information as best she could.</p><p>Another twenty minutes of walking in the uncomfortable winds and she laid eyes on her first set of structures. Much of the man-made metal objects seemed to be built into the face of the rock and she heard a slapping noise of untied canvas as the tents whipped their coverings in the wind.</p><p>Movement caught her eye and she spotted scrawny figures milling about, some crouched low to the ground while a majority of others were inside the tents huddled together.</p><p>
  <em> Fallen. </em>
</p><p>It felt actually a bit strange to see the normal group of scavenger aliens rather than the mutant horrors she had faced in the Prison of Elders. Each one of the reptilian creatures were wearing rags in a similar color to the rocks around them, almost as if a camouflage.</p><p>
  <em> They're not cold? </em>
</p><p>“Those fallen don’t seem to have any affiliation with the House of Dusk or any that I’ve seen.”</p><p>“Worth a look?”</p><p>She could tell when her ghost shrugged. “There’s gotta be a way forward if we keep looking. I’d rather us not draw attention to ourselves, but I did mark an unusual energy signature on your HUD.” It flashed to the center of the congregation of tents just up ahead. “Could be worth checking out.”</p><p>Jadyn saw that the fallen didn’t seem to be in a rush to go elsewhere. “It’s right in the middle of all them. They’re probably going to look at me as an easy picking. How am I supposed to get around there and try not to kill them? Ask politely?”</p><p>“They’re still fallen. They hate humans and guardians.”</p><p>She shook her head. “These ones don’t exactly look like the type to butcher every human that walks through.” <em> I’ve been hanging around Ailsa too much. </em></p><p>She decided to do it anyway and moved briskly towards the camp, centered on the marker.</p><p>It wasn’t long before the fallen camp noticed her. She saw that it was an entire group of dregs, seeing no vandals or captains present or any form of leadership.</p><p>“Uh...hey. I’m just passing through. Don’t want any trouble.”</p><p>One of the dregs screeched, drawing a crude shock pistol and started shooting.</p><p>“See what I mean?” Solomon deadpanned as Jadyn drew Trust and returned fire. The hand cannon barked like thunder and her aim was spot on, passing through the victim’s head and releasing a rush of white ether that dissipated into the air.</p><p>
  <em> I didn’t even want to fight them. Life looks really rough around here and they’ve probably suffered enough as is. </em>
</p><p>She ran out of ammo in the cylinder, but more dregs came out from the camp’s other end, spraying arc bolts at her as fast as their triggers would allow. One of them tossed a grenade at her.</p><p>Jadyn calmly slid away, leaving it to detonate harmlessly before sighting in her shotgun and pumping shell after shell into the other dregs.</p><p>Her hunter senses kicked in as she ducked right in time to avoid getting hacked by an approaching captain wielding a pair of blades. She put the last shell in her shotgun through, which was just enough to overload the blue arc shield surrounding it before spinning around with her free leg to deliver a hook kick with a grunt. Her foot caught the captain’s mask and the augmented strength with the light sent it careening into the wall where she heard a sickening crack of bones snapping. It limply fell to the ground.</p><p>She shook her head, slowly reloading her weapons and proceeding to the terminal where Solomon had highlighted the signature. It was a fallen transponder, similar to the ones she had seen multiple times and it flickered to life when her hand hovered over the control buttons.</p><p>
  <em> I wonder if these guys knew this was here. </em>
</p><p>As she hit one of the buttons; she had to jump back in surprise as an entire sheer face of the rock wall dissolved in a crackling glow, revealing a narrow dark tunnel that stretched down into the subterranean depths. On the side was a white painting of something roughly resembling an arachnid like a spider.</p><p>“Huh, well that’s gotta be something.” Solomon remarked.</p><p>Jadyn kept Trust out as she proceeded down, keeping a sharp eye on her motion sensor. Nothing was showing, but she knew that the fallen liked to use cloaking technology to conceal specialized members to attack from behind up close as guardians were distracted with frontline bandits. They were invisible to most radar, which made them all the more of a nuisance to deal with.</p><p>“This is some kind of smuggler’s tunnel.”</p><p>Although not claustrophobic, Jadyn still felt on edge as she passed storage racks with containers and dim blue lighting that cast shadows everywhere. It was almost as if she was expecting one of the cloaked marauders to lunge out at her any second. Not that she couldn’t handle it, more along the lines that she didn’t like getting spooked.</p><p>“I know.” Solomon said as if he could sense her unease too. “Never been one to stick to shadows like a nightstalker anyway.”</p><p>For some reason, Jadyn had a very easy time accessing all the elemental disciplines compared to other guardians. Even before the Red War where she lost her light, she had found her ability to use arc and void energy...doing so once again by getting it restored by the Traveler’s Shard in the Eurpoean Dead Zone. Her own personal preference however was solar light.</p><p>Finally she saw daylight again as the tunnel’s roof seemed to open up like a crevice. As she moved around the corner, she spotted more fallen...this time the ugly misshapen ones with covered metal helmets and that same frenzied growls.</p><p>“Those are the fallen we encountered in the Prison of Elders. They’re spreading.”</p><p>“Then we’ll put them down just the same.”</p><p>She had better knowledge on how these mutant fallen fought; hyper aggressive without much regard for their own safety and she used that to her advantage by shotgunning the ones openly charging at her and keeping the ones attacking at range busy by shooting her hand cannon. It took only a few seconds to eliminate the entire group, allowing her to proceed into another open area.</p><p>Here there were more domed buildings in the typical fallen architecture, circular with erratic painted colors to her left, a craggy cliff was just in front on a plateau and she was actually a bit pleased to actually not feel the biting cold wind for once.</p><p>“Is that a servitor?”</p><p>Jadyn saw what Solomon had been talking about. Sacred to the fallen, the orblike drones were essential to supplying the life sustaining ether the race needed to survive on. She had seen many different sizes with each having different roles within the fallen houses. The servitor lay nestled in a circle of metal bars, its casing pried open and innards spilling out as if it were a wounded animal dying or already dead.</p><p>Even though it was just a machine; Jadyn couldn’t help but feel as if the damage done to the dead machine was excessive, maimed. It puzzled her why the fallen did this to something they generally worshipped their entire lives, to something their very existence depended on.</p><p>
  <em> Unless it wasn’t fallen, someone else. But even the hive with their cruelty don’t do shit like this. </em>
</p><p>A shriek and flash caught her eye and she spun around, facing a tall figure that sat at the top of the ridgeline overlooking the entire area.</p><p>She recognized it. He was a tall fallen with four long armored arms and carried a long staff with an eerie glowing shard on the head. His own face was obscured by the same brownish brass metal that was shaped into an odd headdress.</p><p>Jadyn saw blue gray contrails of the dense corrupted ether, the same kind she and Solomon discovered in the prison.</p><p>Easing Trust out of her holster, she leveled it at the massive fallen as a high pitched whine began to emanate from his sides, with four more fallen materializing on either side,</p><p>All of them looked just like someone on the gang of fallen that she saw stand by Uldren’s side as they made their prison escape.</p><p>
  <em> My Light is humming, just a little more and I can summon a golden gun to kill at least three of these ugly fuckers. </em>
</p><p>“Perhaps you will give my children a better fight than your friend Cayde.” A low wheezing raspy voice boomed from nowhere and everywhere at once. Jadyn felt another chill run through her body and it wasn’t from the wind. It came directly from the helmeted fallen that held the spear in the middle.</p><p>She strode out in the open, throwing her arms out as if to dare challenge the fallen atop. Solomon protested, but she didn't hear him...or didn't care. “Oh yeah?! Tell me where Uldren is! If he's got the stones, tell him to stop hiding and face me!”</p><p>One of the other fallen cackled, sending her teeth on edge before they disappeared one by one, leaving the tall Archon with the staff.</p><p>“Come. Kill us. Death is your shield and my sword!”</p><p>Then he vanished himself in a swirl of corrupted ether. As more of the mutated fallen began to phase in and attack; Jadyn drew Trust and went to work.</p><p>This faction fought far differently than any other fallen house she had faced. Instead of using tactics such as flanking, rushing or fighting at a distance, many of them openly stood their ground, shooting in her general direction. The ones that didn’t have a gun rushed at her with clubs and any other bludgeoning weapon they could scavenge.</p><p>Jadyn was surprised at how quickly they covered ground and each one of the crazy fallen were determined to get up close and make it a good old fisticuffs fight.</p><p>She was more than happy to oblige, unafraid of getting her own hands dirty. As she fired her hand cannon, her knife came up in her other hand, stabbing the rushers as they came. Others met their unfortunate end by Light powered kicks, her signature being a swinging hook she had done to the unblemished captain at the camp earlier.</p><p>However being forced to engage in that close combat ended up distracting her from the actual fallen with guns. She tried to remain moving to minimize the chances of getting hit, but the onslaught of them trying to fight her caused the shooters to score a hit from time to time. Void bolts singed her armor, one hitting her undersuit and burning a hole through it.</p><p>She hissed in pain, finally managing to wrestle three of them that tried to gang tackle and stabbed a fourth through its jaws as it tried to <em> bite </em> her wrist.</p><p>
  <em> Really? Biting? That’s the lowest of the low right there. </em>
</p><p>With a little bit of breathing room, she slapped a new mag into Trust, firing at the ones shooting at her before putting more rounds into the others.</p><p>Another wave was more than ready to greet her coming from the cluster of buildings embedded in the hill on the opposite end. She saw the insectoid ones crawling on the ground in packs with the volatile ether blistered on their backs like tumors. At the back was an even taller fallen with barbed metal armor and a similar helmet she had seen on the archon that obscured its entire face save for a set of saliva dripping jaws.</p><p>The screeb enemies as she had dubbed them; were easy pickings. One round from her shotgun had caused it to violently explode. Three more right next to it were caught in the blast, detonating into a chain reaction that killed them all in a thunderous roar. That left the captain enemy. She lobbed a grenade at it, watching the explosive break apart in small heatseeking particles to swarm the larger foe. The solar elemental shield around it had overloaded, blinking out and leaving it free to kill.</p><p>It let out a feral snarl, rushing forward in an attempt to take the fight hand to hand. She slid out of the way of its hammerlike arms, thrusting her knife straight through a bare section of armor into the skin. While that caused it to stumble, it remained hardily on its feet. She unslung her shotgun and jabbed the muzzle into its midsection, firing a shell.</p><p>The captain jerked and Jadyn saw some corrupted ether leak out from the open wounds, but it clearly survived when she knew something like that was more than capable of putting down a fallen captain of similar size.</p><p>She was in the middle of yanking her knife from the captain’s corpse when Solomon pinged her. “Someone’s hacking our strat-comms.”</p><p>
  <em> I thought this was secure. </em>
</p><p>“You’re late.” A familiar female accented voice cut through. “And here I was thinking I’d be hunting Uldren alone.”</p><p>“Petra?!” Jadyn and Solomon both asked at the same time out of disbelief. The two of them glanced at one another before she spoke up again. “Where have you been?”</p><p>“I could be asking the same of you.” Petra said, going straight to business. “We need to talk. Face to face. What’s your position?”</p><p>“We’re roughly three fourths of a mike above and two to your one.” Solomon said. “Kind of new to the area, so we’ll need some guiding.”</p><p>“Not to worry,” The Regent Commander chuckled and Jadyn swore she could hear gunfire rattling on the other end of the strat-comm. Only someone like Petra would be talking so calmly in the middle of a shootout. “I am on my way to see an old acquaintance. Word is that he wants Uldren and his Baron followers dead like us. The problem is that the feeling is mutual, so my accomplice is laying low in a hidden bunker close to both our positions.”</p><p><em> This wasn’t what I was expecting. </em> Jadyn thought to herself. <em> But having someone like Petra to help is definitely better than rushing in alone. Maybe Marcus was right. I’ll have to thank him later through clenched teeth. </em></p><p>“If we are wanting him to open the door; we can’t leave any witnesses. Clear the area.”</p><p>Jadyn glanced around the area; it was desolate save for the rotting corpses of the ones she just killed.</p><p>“It’s all clear up here.”</p><p>“Things are a little different down a level. I’m sending you some backup. Please don’t shoot them.”</p><p>
  <em> Don’t shoot them? What’s that supposed to mean? </em>
</p><p>Jadyn watched as the entrance behind her slid open, revealing another snaking tunnel that led deeper inside. Although she couldn’t see Solomon from him being phased, the two exchanged an uncertain look.</p><p>
  <em> At least there’s no bone chilling wind. </em>
</p><p>She was about halfway down the tunnel when the sound of close by gunfire erupted. Flashes of white and blue lights were up ahead and she rounded the corner to see a few more of the ugly bestial fallen as they fell to a pair of...other fallen?</p><p>The new players held shock rifles and turned around when they sensed their presence. Unlike any other fallen she had seen, these ones seemed about the same size as a vandal. They had wide bug-eyed masks and greenish gray armor plating with glowing blades at each arm like gauntlets.</p><p>What was most striking about them was the long prickly spines that ran down their backs. Jadyn wasn’t sure if it served some sort of purpose or was just there for show.</p><p>
  <em> They look like giant hedgehogs. And they must be the backup Petra was walking about. </em>
</p><p>Both were fighting in front of a lift and jumped down, one of them gesturing to her to follow...and somehow she had managed to heed Petra’s advice not to open fire on sight like she did with others.</p><p>
  <em> Neither of them bothered to attack me. Fair in my book. </em>
</p><p>The descent took just a few seconds, but she found herself in an almost entirely different world just forty feet below.</p><p>She was in some kind of village or town...something. Fallen structures were built into the rocks in all directions, spanning bridges, platforms and other areas that adapted to the terrain.</p><p>While most of the species were nomadic, living in the giant ketch ships that prowled space, she knew some clans had rooted themselves into abandoned cities and anywhere else they could make themselves at home. Fallen were incredibly difficult to root out, similar to hive.</p><p>The fighting was even more intense here and she could see more of the hedgehog vandals engaged in a battle against the other fallen. One of them nodded at her, crouching under cover and holding a long range wire rifle.</p><p>“You are Petra’s friend?” He asked in raspy English.</p><p>“Uh yes.” Jadyn still found it difficult that this party of aliens wasn’t itching to shoot her on sight.</p><p>“Then we are allies. I am Arrha.” The fallen hissed. “Help kill Scorn. Then we take you to boss.”</p><p>
  <em> Sounds good to me. </em>
</p><p>Having more firepower and abilities than the other fallen gang, Jadyn took charge, already ablaze with light as her golden gun incinerated enemy after enemy. When her supercharge ran dry, she twirled a knife in her hands before expertly tossing it straight into the head of a sniper.</p><p>Arrha and the other fallen backed her up, laying down suppressing fire or throwing grenades that happened to kill or flush out easy pickings. It was only after they killed the second batch while aiding another hedgehog vandal did she begin to start having a little bit of respect for the named one. He was a crack shot with the rifle.</p><p>
  <em> I better make sure of that in case we do end up turning our guns on one another. </em>
</p><p>“Not that I’m complaining.” Solomon said as they battled another incoming group. This one had a handful of the exploding ones, so she warned her compatriots to stand back while she fired a single round from Trust, causing the entire cluster to detonate. “But why are there fallen fighting against other fallen?”</p><p>“The Scorn aren’t fallen. Not anymore.” Petra said.</p><p>Infighting amongst fallen houses wasn’t unusual. In fact; Jadyn learned that they did it all the time back when she was first learning the ropes of being a guardian by Cayde. Each house had their own unique characteristic of grappling with the other houses to gain power and influence in a game that never seemed to end. The late House of Kings was a prime example, constantly scheming in the shadows and at one point, tricking the House of Devils into leading a massive offensive in the Battle of the Twilight Gap.</p><p>“At least these fallen aren’t shooting us on sight.” Jadyn noted.</p><p>“Yeah, but how long will that last?”</p><p>
  <em> Not sure. How about we just stay on their good side? </em>
</p><p>Arrha rallied the group with another pair of hedgehog vandals, aided by a servitor that had similar spines all over its spherical body. It hummed softly, rotating its center core before firing long range void blasts at the opposing Scorn.</p><p>She could see two captains leading the enemy charge, aided by a number of smaller ones on the platform at the far end.</p><p>Turning to Arrha, she gestured to the larger skirmish happening. “I’m going to help them. You going to be okay?”</p><p>The eliksni nodded and she turned around, dashing up the stairs and across the field towards the buildings. Apparently she was lucky that all the hedgehog vandals were seemingly aware that she was on their side.</p><p>Feeling the Light swirl around her body, she formed her flaming Golden Gun, taking careful aim and firing. The first shot caused the solar shields on the closer one to explode, disorienting it with a handful that surrounded it. She centered her aim again, putting the second round through its forehead and reducing it to a smoldering crisp. There was only one shot left, so she used it on a charging stalker that came a little too close, skewing it straight through and killing another behind it.</p><p>Petra came on her strat-comms again. “The Barons’ leader, the Fanatic; possesses that power to resurrect fallen as undead bloodthirsty puppets.”</p><p>Jadyn felt a chill run down her spine hearing that. It almost made the Scorn a dark, twisted counterpart to guardians.</p><p>
  <em> They constantly resurrect them. </em>
</p><p>“Wow,” Solomon whispered in her ear. “That’s...really...really horrible. Even for fallen.”</p><p>“And he believes Uldren gave him that power.”</p><p>“The Fanatic.” Jadyn remembered seeing the towering Archon and had to guess the other fallen that had flanked him on the ridge was to observe the newcomer...and maybe for intimidation.</p><p>
  <em> I’m not backing down because he wants to swing his dick around. </em>
</p><p>“Did he? I don’t think Uldren is capable of doing that.”</p><p>“No.” Petra replied curtly. “Something else is at play. Fikrul has always been temperamental and fixated on vengeance of Cayde. All of the Scorn Barons were imprisoned or killed by Cayde and the Fanatic was the only one left to escape. When the prison break happened...he was there. It was staged from months of planning.”</p><p>Arrha had eliminated the last of the Scorn and together, they advanced up to a tall balcony at the end of the settlement’s wall. More Scorn awaited them, already engaged with a pair of hedgehog vandals. Upon turning to see the newcomers, one of them hefted a molten welder and fired it straight into a captain, exploding the shields and blasting it apart.</p><p>
  <em> That explains why shooting Scorn is like shooting a damn tree. They probably feel no pain or regard for their own safety. Just blindly throw themselves at their foes until they die or their victim does. </em>
</p><p>Plus there was their viciousness. She had never seen fallen fight like them...ever.</p><p>In her own opinion; Scorn were just as unnerving as the Taken.</p><p>Just as they eliminated the last of the Scorn, more dark ether phased in and another force had appeared out of the flashes. Among them was another hulking headless monster she had fought in the Prison of Elders.</p><p>The abomination lifted its hands, firing a lance of lightning that caught one of the vandals, causing it to crash against the wall where it laid unmoving and arc energy crackling across its smoked corpse.</p><p>Jadyn and the others scattered as more of the smaller Scorn fired on their position. She pulled out Sleeper Simulant, slapping a mag in and sighting the stump at where the head would be. Dark ether was seeping out from the metal cap and she deduced that it would be where it was the weakest.</p><p>Before she could, something hit her in the back of the head, causing her to stumble out in the open cover. The abomination saw its newest victim and fired a blast right at her, catching her legs and sending a sensation of numbness to a sharp burning pain.</p><p>She grit her teeth, spinning around to see one of the smaller Scorn had snuck up on her, swinging its mace wildly. Rather than waste a shot of her fusion rifle on it; she snatched it by its leg, turning around once again and hurling the surprised fallen right at the abomination.</p><p>It had already raised another hand to fire off the lightning from its fingertips, but instead of hitting Jadyn, it struck the thrown Scorn that was still in midair. Having just a moment to take advantage; she hurled a grenade at its feet, charging the Simulant’s laser core. The weapon hummed to life, shooting out a high density beam that cut straight through the creature. It staggered and then collapsed at their feet.</p><p>The rest of the Scorn looked a little surprised at seeing the largest of their ranks go down, however Arrha and the rest of his men were already on the attack, crisscrossing arc bolts and exploding shrapnel projectiles from the other lieutenant that made short work of the survivors.</p><p>“So Uldren and the Barons murder Cayde and then come here. Why? What is so special about the Tangled Shore?”</p><p>Petra sighed. “That’s not my secret to tell Guardian. It’s the Reef’s. I will say this; Uldren sent the Barons here for a reason. I just need to confirm my suspicions.”</p><p>
  <em> Cryptic. But I don’t see how that helps. </em>
</p><p>“It looks like we’re all clear out here Petra.”</p><p>“Great! Follow your backup, they’ll lead you to us.”</p><p>As if on cue, the hedgehog vandals dropped on all fours and scurried rapidly over to a corner where the roads winded off into tunnels further into the shore. The servitor and pair of guards stood just next to a large rock wall and Arrha beckoned for her to follow him as well.</p><p>They were right next to the rock wall that the servitor floated idly by and Jadyn looked around, not seeing any sort of door.</p><p>
  <em> Hidden? </em>
</p><p>Arrha’s cohort; the one with the molten welder launcher walked to the edge and tapped something on his wrist. Almost immediately, the wall literally faded in front of her eyes in a flash of light, revealing a dimly lit corridor that went to their right and descended down.</p><p>
  <em> Apparently yes. Right in plain sight. I guess that’s why they’ve had us eliminate all witnesses. </em>
</p><p>“Hurry.” Arrha’s cohort, waved everyone inside. “We have little time before wall closes. Make no bargains you cannot keep.”</p><p>With no time to waste, Jadyn carefully followed them.</p><p>Petra greeted her at the tunnel leading down to the left. She didn’t know what came of her, but Jadyn found both of them embracing gently.</p><p>“It’s good to see you guardian Jadyn.” Petra smiled wanly. “I’m glad you could make it.”</p><p>“Thanks Petra.” She took a long look at the awoken Regent-Commander. No longer sporting her tight-skinned uniform, Petra wore baggier unimpressive clothing that had a dull mint hue. Parts of her armor adorned her shoulders and hips, but she also kept a hood up that would’ve passed as a handed down hunter cloak. “New look?”</p><p>“Pays to be discreet.” She said. “It’s not exactly the smart thing to go around in distinct awoken armor. Turns a lot of heads of questionable figures.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>“So you’re in this to hunt down Uldren too? I should’ve known.”</p><p>Jadyn’s hand gripped Trust firmly. “I’m not sitting down and waiting for anything anymore. Uldren’s going to be bragging around that he handed us all a huge defeat. Well I beg to differ. I’m getting the last laugh out of this.”</p><p>“How has the Vanguard taken it?”</p><p>Truthfully, Jadyn was with Ikora when she voted that they storm the Reef and search the entire place from the top down until he was burned alive, but her hopes were dashed by Zavala’s stoic behavior and actions. It wasn’t the first time he was harshly criticized for doing absolutely nothing.</p><p>“Nothing. Zavala thinks it’s better to keep all guardians available to protect the City.” She folded her arms in clear disapproval. “Pretty pussy ass move if you ask me.”</p><p>Petra nodded solemnly. “So then you’re not here on-”</p><p>“On official Vanguard business? No. Completely unsanctioned, off the books. I’m on my own.”</p><p>“I’m sorry. I agree that it’s something we all hoped would play out differently.” Petra turned down the corridor. “Our company is waiting for us and maybe we can get some help or at least a gesture in the right direction. So shine your shoes Guardian Amaris. You’re about to meet...the Spider.”</p><p>
  <em> The Spider? </em>
</p><p>Jadyn suddenly realized that the white graffiti art she had seen on the wall of the old smuggler’s tunnel was that of a spider. That meant…</p><p>
  <em> All those illusions, barriers and passageways were once this Spider’s turf. No wonder Petra said he hates the Scorn as much as we do. </em>
</p><p>It must’ve been safe to breathe, as she popped the seal on her helmet. It hissed and she slid it off where Solomon transmatted it into his inventory that he kept for her on hand.</p><p>“Much better.” Jadyn brushed a damp lock of hair out of her face and wiped sweat off her brow. “That feels good.”</p><p>As they walked further down the tunnels, Jadyn detected the same wet leathery smell that was typical of fallen. She made a face, but kept her own uncomfortableness to herself. Petra seemed unaffected.</p><p>Finally the corridor went down a set of steps into a dimly lit chamber. Arrha and a couple other vandals were waiting for them there. Among them was a humanoid figure who stepped forward, gesturing to both women to hold their hands up. “Weapons.” Her voice had a cunning edge to it that Jadyn didn't particularly like.</p><p>Jadyn complied and was relieved of Sleeper and her shotgun. She moved to hand over Trust but was surprised that the woman waved her off, insisting she keep it holstered. Jadyn was then ordered by the woman to hold up her hands and her entire body was subsequently pat down for any concealed weapons from her arms to her waist and ankles. She had also found the knife in her hip sheath, but again was surprisingly able to keep it on her person.</p><p>
  <em> Odd. They’ll let us keep pistols and knives, but not our other weapons? </em>
</p><p>Next to her, Petra was frisked as well, however she was only armed with her trusty knife and a Vestian Dynasty pistol; the standard service sidearm for the elite awoken Corsairs.</p><p>Jadyn’s weapons were handed to one of the other vandals standing nearby and escorted further down the corridor.</p><p>Boisterous laughter boomed from down the hall, originating at the center and Jadyn saw a massive, obese fallen sitting on top of a suspended chair, eying them gleefully as he leaned back, showing his girth.</p><p>“Well! If it isn’t Petra Venj?! The worst jailer in the Solar System!” She was surprised to hear him speak in perfect English, something she had never heard from a fallen. Not even Variks. Still, he spoke with an occasional sniffle and wheeze as if he had rhinitis.</p><p>As he moved; Jadyn caught a whiff of the same scent from earlier and blinked briefly to clear her eyes of the tears that started to form. He laughed to himself, propping his four arms at the edge of his throne.</p><p>“Hello Spider.” Petra said curtly, devoid of any warmth or tension. “You’re looking fit.”</p><p>“Goodness no. The day I stop eating like I do is the day I die!” Spider declared proudly, leaning his head back. “So! What brings you to my home, away from home, away from home? On the run are we?”</p><p>Jadyn had to give him credit, having both a smooth way of flaunting his knowledge. He had to have a big network of informants. She also realized that Shank relieving them of their weapons, but allowing sidearms did a reverse psychology mind trick that kept visitors confident they had the option of shooting their way out, which was always an option. But she could tell that even with such a close range; they were heavily outnumbered by the guards that stood vigilantly at the don’s side. By thinking that they had a chance, it meant Spider could at times gleam or collect information that the turncoat overlooked or would say by mistake.</p><p>
  <em> Can’t help but respect that. </em>
</p><p>“I heard you lost the Shore.” Petra’s face curled into a faint smirk. She appeared to know the kind of game Spider liked to play.</p><p>“Gah!” The entire throne seemed to groan like the rocks outside when he sat up and shifted his weight. “You lost my Shore!”</p><p>Petra chuckled. “Well to each their own. And I thought you might want some help winning it back.”</p><p>Spider narrowed his eyes at her and his gaze moved to Jadyn, who felt a little intimidated, but she firmly stood her ground and fixed the kingpin with a steely gaze.</p><p>“I’m guessing it’s because of your compatriot there. And she looks like a guardian.”</p><p>He waved his hand and she saw an object in his hand that she couldn’t quite discern.</p><p>“And where oh where, pray tell is your ghost?”</p><p>Jadyn’s eyes went wide as she finally was able to make out what was in his hand.</p><p><em> A dead ghost. </em>With horror, she suddenly saw a pair of nets on either of Spider’s sides that were full of them. All with different colored shells with dozens in each hanging like a house decorations, all empty husks devoid of any life. She heard Solomon make a whimpering sound in her ear.</p><p>“Never mind the ghost.” Petra’s tone was a little snappy. “We’re not here to debate on that. Now there were two guardians at the Prison of Elders during the escape. One was Cayde-6.”</p><p>She gestured to Jadyn and stepped forward. “And this one. The three of us all want the same thing Spider. Uldren and his Barons...dead.”</p><p>“What is it you propose I do anything? What makes you think I have any idea about where that haircut and his pets ran off to?”</p><p>“Oh I’m sorry. I was under the belief that nothing happened in the Tangled Shore without you knowing.”</p><p>“Shamefully, I have my limitations.” Spider wheezed. “It can still be hard to see and hear everything. Even at the top of the mountain.”</p><p>He folded his lower arms together and fiddled with the shell. It took every ounce of Solomon not to scream at his guardian to lunge forward and rip it out of his pudgy hands.</p><p>“Unfortunately despite our mutually aligned interests, I can’t help but feel like it is I who will come up short. It is true though; I may not know absolutely everything that happens on my Shore, but I do know where Uldren and his Barons scheme...where they’re plotting to take <em> my </em> territory and be an irritating thorn in my side. So let’s say you go and scratch your itch. Then we can say; you owe me.” Spider leaned forward, eyes scrutinizing both women.</p><p>“What do you say? We have a deal?”</p><p>Jadyn stepped forward. She noticed that Petra’s hand was hovering close to her curved knife, ready to draw it out.</p><p>“Wait.” Solomon said inside her head. “Are you sure?”</p><p>To his credit, she actually paused, considering the possibility. Sure, the answers and possible solution of finding Uldren and the Scorn Barons stood in front of her. However to get it, she could be signing a long debt. She didn’t know what she would have to do to pay off her end, but it was a question of whether or not it was worth it. Was getting justice for Cayde worth the price of selling herself off to Spider?</p><p>Jadyn opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself from agreeing.</p><p>
  <em> Hold on a second. </em>
</p><p>“What are the terms of your deal?”</p><p>“Ha!” Spider actually laughed, his entire body shaking. “I like you already! Guardians never cease to amuse! You’re proof that your kind aren’t just strong, but smart.”</p><p>He leaned backwards. “I’m in a generous mood today, so I’ll make things simple. You fulfill the conditions of my bargain and I’ll give you the location of where Uldren and his Barons use as their operating base. Then...if you want out, you’re out.”</p><p>Jadyn stared at him. “Deal.”</p><p>Spider chuckled again and gestured. “Shank. Show our guardian our terms.”</p><p>The masked woman stepped forward, holding out a datapad.</p><p>Jadyn took it in her hands, reading up on recently posted bounties that lined Spider’s board. There had to be dozens...maybe hundreds of them. Many were posters by the Reef for wanted escapees that had broken out in the middle of Cayde’s murder.</p><p>“The Prison of Elders continues to leak like a sieve. Someone...should clean up at least a little bit of the mess before traipsing off on murder and mayhem.” She saw him lean over. “So what do you say friend? Quid pro quo, before you go?”</p><p>Jadyn nodded.</p><p>“Guardian Amaris.” Petra quietly called close by. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”</p><p>The gunslinger glanced up at Spider, who gave her a curt nod before returning to business. She detached herself from their circle and approached the awoken woman.</p><p>“Of course. What’s new?”</p><p>“I never really got the chance to apologize to you.” She said softly. “About Cayde. Had I known he was in grave danger, I would’ve done anything in my power to have prevented that from happening.”</p><p>She looked close to tears. Jadyn knew that the two of them had been close too from working together for many years. It hit her hard as well.</p><p>“And my people are in ruins. Those that knelt to Uldren were slaughtered. The rest have scattered, desperate to protect their own from marauders, pirates and every other thing in between. But it’s not too late for revenge.”</p><p>Jadyn felt bad for her. The Awoken governing the Reef were never back to their full strength after Oryx had invaded the system. This just happened to be another one of rubbing salt into fresh wounds.</p><p>“Take this compound bow.” Petra gestured behind her, showing a long case that held a light weapon with curved arms and an elastic fiber string along the rear. A sight was in the center, next to where the user would nock and draw an arrow. “It’s for you. The latest in our line from the Vestian Armory. It is my hope that it can help you...so we can set things right.”</p><p>“I intend to.” Jadyn reached over, closing the case. She knew that holding it and trying out an arrow was a sure way to alert Spider’s guards and they were likely on edge since she had yet to gain his full trust. Without needing to be told; Solomon transmatted it into her inventory.</p><p>
  <em> I’ll have to try it out at least. </em>
</p><p>She glanced back at Spider, headed back over to see what bounties were easily doable. At the very least; she would be able to start learning the terrain and layout of the Tangled Shore.</p><p>Ailsa and Marcus were going to expect her at the Dasa Base soon and she didn’t want to miss their rendezvous. There was a lot to go over.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So we meet the Spider, probably one of my favorite characters in the Forsaken storyline. He has a big role already and I'm excited to see what you all think of how I make Destiny's resident Jabba the Hutt out to be.<br/>As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Battle for the Dasa Base Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, I'm back with another update! We're gonna take a break from Jadyn to start on the other plotline that's going to be happening at the same time she's enacting her plot of vengeance against Uldren.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So what the hell did <em>that</em> bitch want anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus Lynch almost scoffed at the nickname Ailsa Matasan had picked up off him when Aunor had approached them in the Tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She wanted to know whether or not we were stepping out of line on our mission to the Tangled Shore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She knows?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Mom, one look and pretty much anyone could figure it out. Jadyn’s just as much of a celebrity as she is a guardian with as much as she’s accomplished. It doesn’t take a mad genius to put two and two together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa was silent for a couple moments, chuckling at the nickname unanimously given to her by most of Razoredge that he had thrown in. “So what did you tell her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What she wanted to know. Jadyn’s fully aware she’s doing this on her own accord. You and I are there to back her up and make sure she doesn’t kill herself or do something else that’s stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because having the hero of the Red War suddenly become a hard-nosed vigilante is probably bad for morale. I just hope that when this is all done and over with, we’ll just bury this as far down as we can.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was no pretending their actions wouldn’t exist down the road. Eventually, there were going to be consequences. He wondered if Jadyn had pondered the fact at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or if she’s already in trouble. Now if anyone can get out of it. It’s her. I hope.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you’re not the only one that has a bad feeling about all this right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded absentmindedly. “Plus it’s just like Jadyn to run straight into things and get favors without thinking about the ramifications. To her, nothing else matters right now other than getting revenge for Cayde. What about everything else? All the favors everyone’s going to ask her. Out here in the Reef, favors are as valuable a currency as glimmer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re saying you don’t want that?” His ghost Onyx asked. Sitting next to him, she twirled her matte jet black shell. “I didn’t peg you to be that insensitive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not.” He firmly said. “I just want to do this the right way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure," Onyx's voice said she didn't buy his excuse. "Like you're doing this because of that and the fact you're not genuinely concerned for her well-being."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It isn't that. Look, we may not get along all the time, but there's no way I'd openly snitch her out like that. We should be saving whatever beef we got with one another for the enemy."</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“You ever been to the Dasa Base before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus edged his own ship close to Ailsa’s as they dropped out of NLS, presented with a violet glowing expanse of space where the Reef stretched out in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scratched his shaved head, sporting a mix between a dark haired crew cut and mohawk. “No I haven’t. We don’t get deployed to the Reef often. Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Just curious I guess.” Ailsa’s ship drifted close so they flew side by side, piggybacking off each of their sensors to help navigate together through the Reef’s tricky layout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anyone watching them could tell they couldn’t be any more different in terms of their own personal ships for transportation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa’s ties to the human and eliksni villages sharing half of a coastline in America's F-Rida region had modified her own ship from the chassis of an older model called the Holacanthus which resembled the Pallas Galliot reefcraft that was designed to weave through the dangerous asteroid fields. Nicknamed the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span>, there were signs of eliksni technology integrated in, allowing the craft to appear as friendly and nonthreatening to all of the recognized fallen houses. The communications station onboard also held the special frequencies and broadbands that they used to message one another and an onboard computer was able to pick out translations and coded messages. Because Ailsa was the only member of their team able to speak fluent eliksni without the aid of a translator mount; she was able to quickly intercept and gather much needed intelligence on fallen activity in the general vicinity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ ship more resembled a swept wing delta fighter jet that he affectionately nicknamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Based on an old Golden Age design, it had intrinsic stealth capabilities and vertical ball rotary thrusters to move similar to a Hawk jumpship. With a shift in fighter mode; it essentially transformed into a close air support VTOL capable of laying suppression fire. He had outfitted it with impressive firepower for a jumpship too. A pair of solar spinning 20mm tri-barrel cannons were mounted on both sides of the cockpit on the ventral side with a wide panning amount of movement. It was capable of shooting at targets while not looking directly ahead, peppering them with explosive rounds that made short work of armor and shields. The secondary weapons were super velocity Ajax air missiles designed by the City based foundry Nadir. Stored in the Raythe’s underbelly, the targeting computer could acquire a lock where it would briefly drop and ignite, chasing its victim with incredible speed. They were the newest in standard issue for air defenses by the City and many guardians were beginning to outfit their jumpships with the launchers as they began to face more and more aerial threats.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The place is actually quite nice from what I’ve heard. The Dasa’s used to be an affluent awoken family with lots of different holding firms. They all perished in the Taken War, but the commander actually turned out to be the last surviving member of the family...and he’s a guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well what do you know?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it will finally be a spot where we can power down.” Ailsa’s ghost Gyro said, clearly more than happy to have a break from a grueling eleven hour flight. "I'm exhausted."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You won the last three card games."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And don't forget the food too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The food on base is pretty good unlike some of the other Vanguard installations. I think Lord Dasa made sure the kitchen staff make City favorites frequently so it reminds them all of home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forget you were here.” Marcus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a while.” Ailsa confirmed. “But getting the local eliksni clans to agree in terms of light trading has really improved stability. It’s something Reefedge desperately needs now more than ever. If I had to guess, this might be the last safe area for quite some time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That means refugees will be pouring in from everywhere.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was hoping I didn’t have to come back here anytime soon.” Marcus said quietly. “When we did,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...we all feel it.” Ailsa replied, echoing his thoughts wordlessly. “But there’s no denying that you guys would have stopped a potential power shift in the Reef.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eric would be proud.” He looked over at a wrinkled picture that was snapped of him and his best friend, smiling fondly at the titan’s big grin as he slung an arm around Marcus’ shoulder while teaching him how to pick up women at a bar. “I miss ya, you handsome bastard.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It was another half hour of uneventful flying when action caught the two hunters’ attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While not entirely unusual to have fallen activity of the massive ketch warships moving about in this area, neither of them expected a warning of an incoming missile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alarms blared in their ears as they quickly took evasive action, dropping their ships down as a huge fireball streaked through the dark space like a meteor hell-bent on hitting something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez, what the hell was that?” Ailsa managed to breath. “A little close don’t you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Onyx?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ ghost materialized and she accessed the database. Not only was the hunter a talented gunsmith, he had intimate knowledge of enemy weaponry from the black magic used by the hive to the ubiquitous imposing hardware used by cabal legions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got a match!” She exclaimed. “It’s a lich class cruise missile! The Red Legion use them for long range attack and ship to ship combat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what’s the worry?” Ailsa asked. “It missed us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t think we were the target.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, check its intended vector.” They had been heading in the same direction and he had a sinking feeling of where it was headed. Same place they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no ships in that direction that we’ve heard of.” She said after a moment then paused, bringing a display of the map on Marcus’ side. “Oh no. That’s not good. We have no time to waste!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gyro intercepted a signal the fallen ketch just received.” Ailsa said, interrupting his thoughts. The casual demeanor was flipped off in the guardians and they turned back into the operators they were. “I think we now know who launched the missile...and where it’s headed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus got right to work. “I'm going hot. Firing Ajax!” The bomb bay doors of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> split open and the air attack weapon ignited, rocketing after its quarry in hot pursuit through the thicket of rocks. He watched the display, subconsciously thumbing the joysticks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a complete longshot and a close call; both weapons were about at the same speed at maximum and the lich had a five second head start. The Ajax was designed to intercept enemy targets...not chase them down. Still, it was doing a decent job outside its primary role. Marcus’ gripped the handle, finally a bit relieved as the Ajax began to close the gap between it and the lich, a counter showing the time until the two would meet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before it winked out of his display.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cursed. “The bloody thing ran out of fuel!” There was no time to launch a second one, it would never catch up in time and he knew those cruise missiles had a flight time far longer than his smaller Ajax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are we going to stop it?” Ailsa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ eyes turned to the answer; the ketch that was sitting up to their left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We go and ask them.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“I’ve tried to warn the Dasa base,” Gyro said over their strat-comms. “But any more attempts and we might be drawing more attention to ourselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep it up.” Ailsa said. “If we don’t give off any warning, it’ll be too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m seeing more traffic from the ketch.” Marcus said. “At least a dozen skiffs all heading in that same direction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think it’s an attack?” She asked incredulously. “Even the eliksni aren’t that ballsy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t really tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two ships accelerated up towards the large fallen ketch. Huge warships that were home of the fallen houses, they carried their massive armies that were sizable from small raiding parties to full on invasion forces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was likely that whoever was in command of the ship had authorized the launch of the lich missile. A targeting system, which wouldn’t be hard to integrate between fallen and cabal technology would make quick calculations and subtly steer it around obstacles so that it weaved effortlessly. This allowed it to be strategically fired at targets hiding behind cover or using debris fields to mask itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they approached its port side; they saw the ship’s point defense turrets slide into place and begin glowing blue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heads up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two hunters weaved apart as arc blasts were thrown in their direction and effortlessly dodged. That didn’t stop the gunners as they recharged their batteries and attempted to fire again. Large mounted shrapnel launchers aided the arc turrets, firing a spread shot of molten metal that quickly dispersed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to draw its fire.” Ailsa zoomed ahead in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Being the closer and easier target to hit, the guns swiveled away to fire at her. At the last moment, she banked shy underneath the large cowling, changing vectors far too fast for the gunners to track and lead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They never got the chance. As soon as they took their eyes and systems off Marcus, he spun up the twin tri-barrel guns and raked the entire side with a fusillade of explosive rounds. They tore into the weapons, ripping them apart into heaps of slag. One must’ve had a lucky shot, hitting a dump of batteries or munitions because a column of fire blossomed out that toasted pretty much everything inside that was close by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I think we’ve introduced ourselves. How about we go give the skipper our regards?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus, I noticed there’s a tube running the length of the ketch that’s the perfect size for housing a lich missile. It looks eliksni in origin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, never thought the fallen would actually take the time and effort to make themselves capable of shooting cabal missiles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like we need to find out why they would go through the trouble in the first place. And abort this thing before it wipes the Dasa Base and Reefedge City off the Solar System.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Both ships found a serviceable and breathable hangar deck and quickly guided their ships inside, as soon as they transmatted outside, they were greeted with a horde of fallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, they saw that something was quite amiss with these ones. Instead of the colorful uniforms they often wore to depict their affiliation; they were all in dull bronze armor and metallic skin with barbs, spikes and blades.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>These things look feral. Like the ones Jadyn fought in the Prison of Elders.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A majority of them rushed forward, holding up clubs, maces, parts of metal pipes and other melee bludgeons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa hefted a grenade launcher in her hands and fired it off. The first one landed in a group’s center, exploding and blowing them apart. A few well placed shots had done similar cleanup and the headless ones wielding flaming flails had ignited in a fireball that took out any others nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More on our left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ polaris lance rifle flashed as he aimed firing off the explosive rounds. The fallen’s head vanished in a ghastly ether cloud before it combusted in a blaze of solar energy. Within moments, the two hunters’ combined efforts had cleared the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey not to rush either of you.” Onyx said. “But judging from the flight path the lich is taking; it’s time to impact is in seven minutes and fifty two seconds. You’re going to have to find whoever launched it and get them to send the abort code.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easier said than done.” Marcus rolled his eyes. “We’re still looking for the shitstick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced at Ailsa, “Let’s move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and took point, stowing her grenade launcher for her own rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those eliksni, they’re different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All fallen are different though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, these ones are even more so. Have you ever seen them attack like that? Aggressive and,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reckless?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah that’s a word that comes to mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. I couldn’t be bothered when I’m putting rounds into their heads. Or whatever constitutes for their head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa rolled her eyes as they approached the door and cleared the long corridor beyond. “On the way here, Jadyn said these were unlike any fallen she’d ever face and I’m surprised so many have already broken out of the Prison of Elders and commandeered a ketch well enough to shoot a missile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alien lover.” Marcus muttered under his breath. “Doesn't make sense either. So what, are you thinking this is something premeditated?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t rule it out.” Her words were drowned out by a rattle of gunfire as she killed off another trio of the savage dregs that were headed their way. “You’d be surprised at how much scheming they do that goes on for years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I believe it. That’s why I don’t trust them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You trusted Variks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had to hold that fucker over my head didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next weapons room had more inert turrets that were retracted into the ketch’s hull plates and according to Ailsa; was just two decks under the bridge. However there would be a mechanical lift that would take them just outside where they could enter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was inhabited though, a pair of snipers took shots at them in the back while another group of the headless flail wielding guys sprinted forward. Together; they shot out the flaming casings that dangled at their side causing them to explode and take out the rest of the group before sliding into cover from the snipers. Marcus was suddenly exposed again and he lashed out with his metal grappling cable to drag over a metal storage container to place in between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got enemy reinforcements!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa turned around, seeing more fallen, but these ones were glowing bright blue and crawling on all six limbs with a deranged, bestial instinct. She felt a pang of sadness, seeing them rush and attack with no conscience or free will of their own. The best way she could help these twisted things was to put them out of their misery for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aiming her rifle, she shot the first one, which subsequently combusted and detonated in a thunderous explosion. The others were caught in the blast, vanishing in a similar fashion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus grunted off to her right and she saw a large beefy fallen slam him to the ground while throwing a pair of barbed torches in his face. One of the snipers took the opportunity to shoot him while he was knocked over and his armor flashed, an indication that he had sustained grave damage. He barely felt the pain in his body as Onyx worked in the background to patch his wounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned out, giving suppressing fire with her rifle before swapping to her grenade launcher. One of them arced through the air, blowing up the part of the balcony where the first sniper was sitting. The second one retreated and she watched as it dashed close to its deceased partner, materializing back out of a blue trail cloud. She had already sighted it in and gave it a couple of bursts that took its head off its shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had managed to sweep his leg, staggering the burly fallen and then used it to kick a dead gun battery by their cover towards it. Rolling quickly, it caught onto the creature’s leg, pinning it to the ground where he lunged forward, thrusting his knife in a perfected stab just underneath the jaw; both a pressure point and part of the windpipe it used to breathe ether in what was usually a fatal strike.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oddly enough, the fallen growled and tried to swing and get ahold of him again, so he pulled his knife back out to stab it again on the other side in the same spot. It gurgled loudly and lay still after a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These fallen are tough to kill. They eat bloody nails for breakfast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it’s the ether.” Gyro suggested. “It’s like those drugs that make you really pumped up and ignore those grievous injuries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you analyze the ether?” Ailsa asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. It’s got the same properties as normal ether, except it's much denser and mixed with something I can’t really place...but it feels poisonous. Darkness possibly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t a surprise. Human or awoken inhalation of ether was incredibly harmful, but apparently there was loose saying of “steam” and “cherry pie” as concentrated capsules of the substance was finding its way around City drug rings that gave people a euphoric high that many had claimed to reach “enlightenment” while under its influence. Marcus was immediately reminded of the Phaedra girl who was more than willing to give back Jadyn’s precious cloak for the capsules he stole to gain leverage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poisonous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To me.” Gyro spun around to face her. “To my Light. I can’t really explain it, but it feels like I start to wane in my connection to Ailsa’s spark if there’s too much. Almost like being choked out by cyanide or sarin gas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s that possible?” Marcus asked, a little irritated he couldn’t understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we can discuss this later. We’ve only got four and a half minutes left before the missile hits the Dasa Base. If that missile is loaded with even half of this strange ether in its payload, it could seriously limit the ghosts’ capabilities at all the guardians stationed there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to mention it’ll probably kill anything that isn’t wearing something short of a sealed armor suit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now fully aware of the diabolical grave situation, the two hunters hurried to the lift, hoping they weren’t too late.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The ketch’s bridge were all designed the same; most controls were set at the front where the semicircular disk had an unobstructed view of the expanse of space in front, save for the long pointed prow that protruded forward, nearly half the length of the entire ship. Nobody was really sure about why this was there, but the fallen were known for being just as extravagant as they were straightforward in their designs to suit their nomadic life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters heard a flurry of chattering and growling on the other side. Their presence aboard had more than likely drawn attention to themselves and the crew was beginning to lock down the bridge to prevent them from taking control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m reading more than a dozen enemy signatures inside.” Gyro said. “One large one too. Likely a captain or baron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No kell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A kell would have a lot more protection than this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well let’s get to breaching.” Marcus glanced at the entrance. “But we’re not going through the door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa knew what he had in mind. “The other walls close to the auxiliary chambers are thin enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I brought explosives.” Onyx transmatted them into his hands. “Show me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She indicated a spot off to their left where he could see that the metal warped outward as if a bubble from the inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both explosive charges had thin adhesive disks on their bottom, so he quickly peeled them and stuck the bombs to the wall, inserted a primer. While not the Cormorant Blade’s breaching charges that sheared through thin walls and delayed a stun charge to disorient anyone on the other side; it was enough to do its job.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus clicked the detonator, causing two thunderous cracks to reverberate through the ship. A handful of contacts on his HUD vanished, knowing that some of the crew had likely been close to that wall and killed instantly when he set the explosives off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not only were they making an entrance, they were going to attack from the side and the fallen that were still alive would likely be stunned to the point their foes came at them in a way they didn’t anticipate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo lobbed a pair of grenades in and Ailsa threw a smoke bomb at their feet, instantly creating a refractive field around their bodies that rendered them nearly invisible to anyone without the appropriate optical aid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus entered first, calling up his own supercharged light ability. A long bladed </span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> formed in his arms, crackling with unbelievable arc energy. With the invisibility, he had flipped over the few crew that were still getting their bearings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa dashed to the nearest panels for cover and opened fire. As the fallen finally turned to greet her; Marcus leapt from his own spot. Within seconds, the bridge personnel were all killed, save for the largest fallen in the center.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like the others they had encountered, the commander had the same sickly pale mottled skin with fleshy warts growing on the sides like a metastasized neoplasm. His eyes were hidden by a metal helmet and his jaws dripped with saliva that was far greater than most of their kind was supposed to be etiquettely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It raised a large quad-barreled shotgun, however Marcus swung his arc staff, catching and flinging it aside. With no other weapons at its disposal, it froze as the hunter thrust his own weapon pointed right at the captain’s throat. Behind him; Ailsa drew from her own supercharged light; forming a large bow and firing a sequence of arrows around their captive. Each arrow sunk into the ground, lancing out void chains that wrapped and secured its six limbs tightly. She stood ready with the rifle raised, watching for more threats, but also covering him if things got messy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The missile.” Marcus demanded. “Tell me how to abort it. Now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got a guttural sequence of slicks and growls in return, likely because this fallen wasn’t capable of speaking english.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This guy’s even uglier in person up close.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never.” Ailsa said, translating for him. “Father and my fanatic will...kill me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus narrowed his eyes and moved the staff a little closer where the bladed edge was mere inches from the neck. “And you think I won’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More growling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dead things won’t listen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ay!” Marcus slashed the staff across the captain’s midsection, causing it to flinch and hiss in pain. “We don’t have all fuckin’ day to jack off here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fallen’s head turned to one of the consoles next to the central holographic table in the center. It served as the ship’s main briefing area as well as navigation charts and a tactical overlay when planning their own operations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many kell had outfitted their ketches as a master control system for the ship’s onboard weapons. If the lich missile had an abort command; it would be held there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next few moments descended into chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa’s tether started to weaken and the massive fallen had likely been biding its time. One arm ripped itself free from the void anchor, grabbing Marcus’ arc staff and tossing it away, with him still attached as effortlessly as a child with a disfavored toy. He flew through the open breach they had made, crashing against the wall with a loud thud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” Ailsa cried, ducking just in time as it had freed itself and tossed something at her as a distraction. Needing cover, she threw down another smoke bomb to conceal herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was all the big captain needed before it managed to retrieve its shotgun and blow the holo-table apart with several solar shrapnel shots. With glowing metal sticking out of its side and sparks dancing along its surface, the device was clearly not functioning.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This captain’s smart.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It paused, throwing something else out. A metal crate that expanded into a two pronged stand that had an orb of arc energy in its center. The object landed next to her and she suddenly felt a brief sensation of weightlessness as it interrupted her invisibility field and pulled her towards it like a magnet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The captain’s expression turned gleeful that he had found his prey. Thinking fast; Ailsa stowed her rifle and held up her grenade launcher, managing to get a shot off that hit the fallen squarely in the chest. As it staggered and tried to bring its own shotgun up to attack her, she hit him again, the blast throwing what was left against the bulkhead of the bridge where it collapsed. Unmoving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could’ve gotten him back for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard a couple of gunshots, looking over to see Marcus shooting up the arc stand thing with his rifle. As it fell apart; the feeling of having her body involuntarily pulled towards it faded within an instant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” She asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and together they rushed forward to the center table, trying frantically to see if anything was working. Ailsa had better knowledge of ketches than Marcus did, so she had found several controls that had the master authority over the entire vessel’s armament.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t get anything to work!” She slammed her hands on the top. “It’s no use! He's destroyed the system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing. Even if there was an abort signal embedded in the servers from another station; there was no way either of their ghosts could crack it within the next four minutes. Marcus shook his head grimly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That left the last resort. He ran back the way he had come, set on getting back to his ship. If they couldn’t stop that missile from hitting the Dasa Base, everyone stationed there and the hundred thousand people in the surrounding area would all suffer a common gruesome fate.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Battle for the Dasa Base Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, back with another chapter...so do enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Onyx and Gyro had transmatted their guardians into their ships still docked at the hangar and they immediately hit the engine throttles to rocket away from the idle ketch. Neither had bothered to destroy it or cede control to someone else; like many derelicts in the Reef, it would soon be fair game to anyone that stumbled upon the find.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They just hoped that someone wouldn’t be smart enough to repair the central holo table and get the firing mechanism repaired for the lich missiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he managed to hook up a secure connection back to the City, he hailed the Vanguard Operations Dispatch; the central hub that had tactical oversight on guardian operations. One of the officers that was freely available would be picking it up once he dialed in his own personal Vanguard access code.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry but you’re not authorized to undertake any intelligence from the Vanguard-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is Commander Zavala there?” It was nearly three in the morning and Marcus really had no time to argue with the female operator that seemed a little lethargic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s currently off duty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well wake his bloody ass up.” He snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, stand by.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a couple of moments, both hunters were linked up to a video feed of a rare sight; Commander Zavala dressed in a black athletic looking sleepwear as he sat down, putting his datapad on a stand at a desk he kept in his modest condo. Marcus still wasn’t completely sure where he lived exactly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken titan gave him an irritated scowl with tired eyes. “Ah you Razoredge. This had better be good, given that one of my strike dispatchers got ahold of me off duty with you as so demanding to speak with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t call you if the circumstances weren’t so dire sir. Ailsa’s doing all she can to get Ana Bray on the line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swore that he saw Zavala’s frown deepen and probably began to realize the reason behind his awakening was going to involve something he didn’t like.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus hadn't been his usual abrasive self when he spoke, so most of the peers that worked with him knew that this serious mood was reserved for moments like these.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Commander, there’s a cabal cruise missile headed straight for the Dasa compound and Reefedge City and it’s carrying a corrupted form of ether that has been linked to the fallen gang that murdered Cayde. Ailsa and I have tried to warn them, but to no avail. My ghost estimates the time to impact in three minutes and twelve seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus, Ana Bray is coming online.” Onyx said at his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghosts automatically linked all four onto the same channel and Zavala’s screen was joined by another hunter’s. It revealed a young human woman who looked to be of eurasian descent with high cheekbones, close cropped dark hair, brown eyes and two oblique streaks of a faint white tattoo that ran across the side of her face. The familiar lupine emblem of the Bray family was seen over her shoulder, neatly pressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Ana.” Marcus said. Under normal circumstances, he’d quip something, enjoying the banter with someone who could match his wit. “Thank you for taking our call. Did Ailsa brief you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “It’s good to see the both of you again. Yes, I’m already at Rasputin’s core, but you had caught me at a bad time. Vanguard dispatch had just been trying with me to establish contact with a base recently and we’ve heard nothing, not even from the civilian areas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Communications shut off from there or something? What in the world?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zavala looked like he was going to open his mouth and say something, but held his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Likely Reefedge City and Dasa Base right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ana blinked and looked at Ailsa. “Yes, how did you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Marcus and I are conducting a,” How were they supposed to word this? “Reconaissance operation just on the outskirts of its airspace two seven zero heading off the perihelion. There’s a long range cabal offensive missile headed straight for Reefedge carrying a nasty payload that's enough to poison the entire populace. Both of us have tried to hail them as well to warn, but nobody is answering, so they have no idea it’s coming, to intercept or evacuate in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ana shook her head in frustration. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you here on Mars. I’m at a loss as much as you are and there’s nothing we can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes there is.” Marcus pressed her. “Orphic Shield.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zavala scowled at him and spoke before anyone else could react. “Guardian Lynch, that’s strictly on a need-to-know basis. Far above your level of authorization.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his credit; the hunter didn’t back down. “I understand sir that I’m overstepping my boundaries. But we already boarded the ship to try and abort the launch and the crew sabotaged the firing systems making it impossible to stop. Rasputin’s Orphic Shield might be the last option we have to avert a disaster. You need to activate it on the warsats situated close to the Reef.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although Zavala was correct in that the knowledge of Orphic Shield was above Marcus’ clearance; he was one of the few people aware of its existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An old defensive subroutine of the surviving warmind Rasputin; Orphic Shield was designed to protect settlements and potential targets from computer guided threats such as long range cruise missiles. Golden Age humanity intended to spoof and broadcast incorrect coordinates and locking numbers to incoming threats from potential invaders or if a black hat hacker ever happened to gain access to something they weren’t allowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aborting a missile was tricky as only the device used to authorize the launch could be the only one to stop it unless it was physically intercepted by something else. Rather than have the hassle of finding the launcher and firing system; Orphic Shield commanded warsats to pulse out waves constantly in a screen that would eventually pick up the incoming threat and spoof incorrect coordinates. This was done subtly so nobody else would detect its interference. No warnings of it deviating off course and no indication that its guidance system had been hijacked. If someone on the rare chance were to detect it; they would have no choice but to unlock the firing system to redirect it manually, which would then allow Rasputin to access it himself and lock the original user out permanently in the blink of an eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So rather than control the factor of if something would crash or explode; the subroutine could control </span>
  <em>
    <span>where</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Other sacrificial warsats would generally move into position to pose as the “target” safely away from populated areas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However in this case; redirecting it into space was the more likely alternative.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was one of the “Hivebuster” teams that was sent to retrieve a copy of the programming after the Grasp of Nokris had stolen it from the Braytech Futurescape with the goal sought to replicate its capability to redirect Red Legion offensive bombardments on their own ships. He had teamed up with Ana Bray to prevent it from falling into the hands of the heretical hive prince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to activate Orphic Shield in that area now.” Marcus said. “Redirect the missile on a four five heading.” He read off the coordinates, an ideal area that had no known celestial bodies as far as they could tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to need clearance for this Marcus.” Ana gave Zavala an uncertain look. The Vanguard commander was already apprehensive enough about Rasputin and turning to him for help to save people likely didn’t help his perception of the warmind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re relying on Rasputin to make the decision to save thousands of people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hundreds of thousands of people.” Ailsa said. “Reefedge City is already one of the fastest growing places in the wake of the Taken War. If this missile hits, all of their progress will be for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Zavala pursed his lips, Marcus added on. “I know this is a tough decision Commander. But you know that I wouldn’t be here talking to you in the middle of the night about activating it voluntarily on our end unless the circumstances demanded it. If we don’t do anything within the next minute and a half, those hundreds of thousands of people there are going to die. We’re out of time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zavala sighed before finally giving a slow nod to Ana. “Authorization for Orphic Shield approved. Do it now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded back, turning to the computer terminal inside Rasputin’s mainframe and rapidly typed in commands on the keyboard. Her fingers tapping on it were rapid like machine gun fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ana relayed the coordinates they gave her that would cause the missile to reinterpret its guidance and convince itself that it was off course. If Orphic Shield functioned properly, that is. This was the first known time they had used this particular subroutine and the lich would alter its own trajectory to the new destination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay...Orphic Shield has been activated. The interference out there is tricky with the limited coverage, so I won’t be able to tell if the system worked,” her face lit up and she abruptly stopped. “Wait...he’s picking something up. Got it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ana’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit...that’s cutting it really close.” They weren't able to see if from their ships, so they were merely gauging her reaction in hopes if they were in time or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another pause and her mood went cheerful again. “Whew, yeah...that was a nail biter for sure. Orphic Shield has done its job and the missile is heading on a four five vector away from Reefedge City.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone visibly relaxed with Marcus and Ailsa breathing a sigh of relief. Even their ghosts felt at ease when the tension began to fade. He realized he had been holding his breath for some time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you both.” Ana looked a lot less stressed. “Especially you Guardian Lynch. If it hadn’t been for your insistence, I may have not suggested Rasputin activate Orphic Shield until it was too late. Thanks Big Red.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy to help.” Ailsa said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would keep it active until the lich has expired its fuel capacity.” Marcus leaned over as his ghost gave him the estimated time and tacked on a little longer. “It should be safe in about seventy seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Understandable.” Ana bowed her head slightly. “Commander, I’d like to stay on the line so that I can help reestablish standard communications with the Dasa Base and the City.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” Zavala nodded in agreement. “Thank you Ana. I’ll need to speak with Guardian Lynch now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh boy...here it comes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At least it isn’t Storm ratting me out. Or talking to Aunor. But Zavala is almost just as bad.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Flicking his hand, he separated Ana and Ailsa’s feed so that they could properly start trying to reconnect with Dasa and Reefedge. Only Zavala’s screen remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bald awoken sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take it this is where you tell me I have a mountain of paperwork to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Have you or Guardian Matasan spoken to Guardian Jadyn Amaris since she left for the Reef?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus straightened in his seat, fighting off the lump forming in his throat. “No sir. Ailsa and I were on our way to join her after she requested help. I was delayed after a word with a warlock from the Praxic Order.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see. I was quite...shortsighted when I said this was going to be an unsanctioned operation that can’t be supported by the Vanguard.” As Marcus opened his mouth to argue, Zavala continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“However, evidence of this missile and firing on a Vanguard installation is an indicated violative act of aggression. Fallen using the leftover Red Legion ordinance is already unusual and could be disastrous...as was the crisis we narrowly averted.” The Commander stroked his cleft chin. “Ikora’s Hidden agents have recently brought new intel into light that some of the fallen gang that Uldren Sov has recruited to follow him have been raiding the Jovian space even before the prison breakout. And it includes some of the Red Legion fleets that Rasputin defeated when they retreated after we took the City back. It’s possible that his followers have stolen the spoils left over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe, but why? Why use a cabal weapon to attack an awoken city and Vanguard installation? Unless...it’s to try and pin responsibility on the Red Legion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked back at the screen, likely thinking the same thing. “And that gives us an operational clause for investigation. Guardians; I’m tasking you and Matasan with finding out more about this fallen house that’s under Uldren’s command. Locate their source of weapons and stop anything else dangerous from falling into their hands. The remainder of your team will be sent on the other leads in the graves of the Red Legion flotilla lie. </span>
  <span>Good luck guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded, signing Zavala off and linking back up with Ailsa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ana just dipped.” She said after a couple moments. “Rasputin finally detected that the lich missile’s fuel reserves have all burned through and she’s redirecting some warsats for locating and retrieval. The Vanguard is standing by to analyze its payload.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we’ve been secondary tasked with finding the source of the weapon and cutting it off. Guess this means our trip to the Reef is going to be longer than we expected.” Marcus groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cheer up.” For some reason, Ailsa’s perky voice grated on his nerves. “You need to get out of that apartment of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m more worried about the backup of shaderjobs and mod orders when I do manage to find time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll manage. Besides, don’t you have an axe to grind with our Vanguard’s killers?” Ailsa asked. </span>
  <span>They fired their engines and started their reentry burn into the thin atmosphere where Reefedge City lay below. Thick purple fog obscured most of the way in, so the guardians flipped on their headlights and instead used their onboard instruments to navigate the new tricky nexus of asteroids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Massive pockmarked rocks were everywhere, some small like their head while others were nearly that of a mountain. The free floating ones were suspended in midair but as they continued their descent, more and more of them were seen lashed together with cords and cables almost as if like a giant raft. When they would exit from their craft onto the rocks, there would be an eerie creaking sound, as if beings from within were in constant miserable agony as a harsh wind rocked the entire haphazard structure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve tried communicating again with air traffic.” Ailsa said. “Still nothing. Even Gyro’s tried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we won’t do much good here.” Marcus eased the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> into a steady descent, trying the comms again to no avail, “Guess we’re gonna land unannounced. Hope nobody wanders onto the runway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More blips on their ship’s sensors started to pop up around them, which was not unusual. Reefedge City was a fully bustling port and a hub for cargo imports and exports to other towns throughout the region. The edge of the settlement was an open area that allowed large freighters to freely enter and exit to the docking clamps surrounded by warehouses and storage bunkers. Although many parts had been devastated by the Taken’s sudden invasion of the Sol System; the Vanguard base established at the Dasa clan’s mansion had revitalized the economy and was a symbol of support between thawing City-Reef relations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However they saw that most of the ships flying in the airspace above weren’t civilian craft at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Any further thoughts and theories of what was happening were cut off as an explosion blossomed on the city’s south side and sent a shockwave that rattled the nearby buildings for a good portion. Smoke billowed into a twisting choked stream that curled upwards passing them in altitude where it spread out to begin blanketing the entire area. Streaks of gunfire from all kinds slashed the darkened sky as a full blown gunfight seemed to erupt out of nowhere in the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone taking a piss down there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With no further time for questions or quips, the two hunters gunned their engines, headed for the center of the conflict; the Dasa mansion.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Battle for the Dasa Base Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's another chapter!<br/>Thanks to NetRaptor for letting me use her setting and characters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The day was just like any other day for the Dasa Base.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the main area of operations for the Vanguard’s Reef presence, it was home to a sizeable garrison of guardians that both protected and supplemented the sprawling metropolis of Reefedge City. From here, the Vanguard could launch their own strike operations and housed three large teams of search and rescue specialists, who were specially skilled in surviving the harsh unforgiving terrain of the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dasa Base’s commander was actually the last living heir of the mafia’s family, having died sometime ago and resurrected as a guardian himself. Kymil Elvaris Dasa had taken a new name and in a chance meeting his wife during the onset of the Taken War; they had transformed the former mansion where the family had one lived into a full fledged Vanguard support base abroad from the City. Under their protection and supervision, the Awoken slowly were beginning to rebuild themselves and Dasa was impressed at both of his people, both awoken and guardian for making so much progress since the Red War.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today, he was surprised to see his own wife in the administration office on the mansion’s second floor, her arms crossed as she frowned over something. Her short hair neatly dressed and lips firmly pressed together, looking sharp as usual in her warlock robes. The large room had a low hum of machinery as guardians and other operators all manned the consoles, from air traffic control to tactical, voices blending together as they talked with their assigned teams. It was a mix of humans, awoken and exos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry I’m late.” As much as he wanted to embrace or even kiss her, it was still public and the Vanguard tended to be stringent on public displays of affection while on duty. It wouldn’t be good in front of all his staff. “I just had to make sure the kids were all picked up from school. They’re busy with homework at the moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine.” She said, still busy looking over an incoming transmission. “But one of our comms officers picked up a message encoded from someone flying in our direction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of message? When did we receive this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the thing,” His wife waved her hand as the holographic table brought it up on a larger scale for them to see. “And I called you right away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dasa squinted before reading it out loud. “Master if souls squander in low elements. I never created other masters inconsequentially now Gallo’s 280. 2 mikes. Trust and kin exist come of venerable else rife.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Notice anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. Seems like the sender has a few screws loose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps,” Her ghost Niki phased out and glanced over the message. “But I’m guessing the sender’s awoken, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered with something so elaborate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or maybe they didn’t want to risk it getting intercepted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Interesting in breaking down our mysterious messenger’s motives.” Dasa crossed his arms and stared up. “But that doesn’t tell me </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> this was sent directly to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because you’re looking at the message the wrong way.” His wife said. “You’ve been a guardian, so you likely forgot that the awoken code talked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Code talking has been around even before the Golden Age started.” Niki added. “And there’s been many variations. The awoken have long used the same method to slip messages in over open channels.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why I’m familiar with it. They often gave it to us at an early age to see who would start making good field communicators.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Niki played a beam over the message and they all watched as everything disappeared, except for the first letter in every word of the message and brought together in forming a new one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes went wide. “Missile incoming. Two eighty, two mikes.” That meant they were about to be attacked from the west in less than two minutes. Everyone had subtly heard what the two of them were saying and froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? There’s no way we can evacuate everyone in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get everyone stationed in the base to the shelters. Move quickly and calmly as possible.” As much as he wanted to panic, he had to remain stoic and calm as commander. There was no time to discern the credibility and no time to warn the awoken outposts scattered around the city either. The best thing he could do is make sure his own people were all alive. Most of the personnel nodded, quickly signing off their stations and filing towards the cellar underneath the mansion’s floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to get the kids.” His wife had said, dashing from the room with Niki on her heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir?” One of the tactical overwatch operators took off her headset. “I just lost contact with Drake patrol Prosperous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Backups?” As much as he wanted to tell her to join them, he couldn’t stop thinking the sudden loss was coincidental. “What about the satellite connections?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried again, waiting a couple of seconds before shaking her head. “Nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Get to safety with everyone else. I’ll see about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was gone, he walked over to the window, trying to look to the west in the inky blackness of space. The sun was shining on Reefedge City, giving it a dreamy look as ships flew in the sky and people went about their day, not knowing a fast moving weapon was rocketing right towards them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If the person is legit. But I don’t see anything.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Banner,” Dasa talked to his ghost on his own strat-comm. “Are you online?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here and ready.” His cheerful voice said, a bit unnerving given the dire circumstances. “I’ve got our SAMs and point defense flak guns hot and ready to intercept as soon as I see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Dasa Compound featured a number of antiaircraft and missile batteries for aerial defense that were operated remotely from the administration offices. Since it was their permanent station; Ferral and Banner both had master control over the functions and could use them all simultaneously if needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep on scanning for it and light it up as soon as you get a reading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fact that he had lost contact with a routine Drake patrol was just as unsettling, too good to be purely a coincidence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The timer on his wrist counted down, coming to thirty seconds, however he saw nothing of interest even when he looked in all other directions.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it’s approaching from underneath?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That couldn’t be the case. Reefedge was situated on a long plateau at the base of a large mountain range that helped protect it from the hoodlums and scoundrels that plagued the Tangled Shore just an hour’s flight away. Some still had burrowing hideouts close to town for hoarding supplies while staying off the radar of the authorities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing?” It felt like it had been longer than two minutes already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Banner said. “Wait. I’m picking up contacts flying in from that direction. It’s not a missile, but there are at least a dozen of them and more on the way. All in a formation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Formation?” That immediately spelled bad news. Air traffic control was tightly secured and their alertness was immediately raised if any incoming aircraft appeared to be aggressive. It was a constant issue, as Reefedge City had limited resources of its own and a lot of the mercantile goods had to be imported in. Security was a major issue and always a present risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dasa opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off when a flash caught his eye then a massive fireball lit up the quaint skyline just blocks down. Just moments later; he heard a deafening boom and rush of air blow at his clothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up in disbelief, he could only watch as the craft came closer, undeterred by the explosion. He was finally able to make them out to be fallen skiffs, but the insignia on their sides were unlike any house he had recognized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no.” Banner said in his strat-comm. “We’ve got company. I’ve tried to hail them and warn them away, but they haven’t changed course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because it was so stringent to have a clear and concise airspace around the City, Dasa made sure that it had a formidable arsenal of weapons to disable or destroy unauthorized aircraft within their vicinity. Communication was key and a ship that didn’t respond as instructed was often given one more warning before they finally would turn the guns on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see them. Get the triple A’s hot and take them out. Then contact the Awoken outposts and see if they can lend us some aid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m on it.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Eight thousand feet altitude off Reefedge City; Marcus and Ailsa blanched, aghast at the inferno that rocked the urban settlement right in the center of the warehouse storage area. A tall plume of acrid smoke choked the sky, rising up towards them at an alarming rate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite having no communication from air traffic control, it was Vanguard’s protocol for broadcasting access codes to allow safe passage in the vicinity above any of their installations. Because the city was so susceptible to raids and pirates, the awoken here had made it a priority to keep it safe with air defenses from artillery to fightercraft.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why aren’t there awoken galliots out to intercept those skiffs?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Traveler,” Ailsa gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That can’t be good.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as they wanted to get down there, they knew that an unusual deviation from their course would be viewed as an act of aggression. The anti-aircraft batteries were likely watching, even though they lit up on the side of Dasa Base, shooting solar rounds at the incoming skiffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I reckon I could help them.” Marcus said. “There’s got to be fighting already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made to start a rapid descent, but suddenly had to veer off as the base’s antiaircraft guns turned on them, opening fire. Explosions blossomed all around the two ships as their pilots weaved and dodged through the flak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “They must not know we’re friendly!” Ailsa said. Comms were out and there wasn’t any way to tell them not as enemies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the sites launched a missile up at them, which Marcus countered with another Ajax. It was nearly up to their altitude when his own ordinance had blocked with the explosion rocking the ships.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trying something else.” Gyro said. “Standby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa separated from Marcus, weaving their ships towards cloud cover despite the likelihood that the guns on the ground had imaging sensors that could pick them out from a screen like that. The tracers moved closer to her direction, finally a few hitting home. The rounds pierced her ship’s wing, rupturing ailerons and rocked it with a blast that caused the entire structure to shudder and groan. It jerked more violently than he would’ve liked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ailsa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ailsa?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here Marcus.” It was Gyro instead. “Ailsa was thrown right into her console and is unconscious. I can heal her, but the ship took too much damage to properly stay up. Bleeding fuel, which could set off an explosion, so I’m shutting it down. We’re gonna have to set down the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus noticed that the antiaircraft batteries had finally stopped shooting at them. It seemed that whatever Gyro had done worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I changed our squawk, they likely scanned us again and identified our ship’s registration in the Vanguard database.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank the Traveler for that.” However they had bigger problems. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span> had suffered enough damage that it began to lose altitude at an alarming rate. Gyro was in no position to heal Ailsa and keep their ship from going into an uncontrollable stall. With part of the flaps and ailerons shot out, gliding for a landing was no longer an option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you eject her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s probably not a good idea.” Gyro was known for his sarcasm and his array of spinning rings on the shell that gave him his nickname. “It could take hours before I find her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ hands gripped his controls, decision made. “We’re landing. Slow your ship down and sharpen your descent rate as quick as you can without entering a stall.” At their current speed, it was too risky to use the maneuvering thrusters that allowed most guardian jumpships to hover like a helicopter and they were too high up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brought the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe </span>
  </em>
  <span>down, edging his left wing closer to Ailsa’s right. The two metal structures closed in on each other dangerously close, but that was the idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, bleed our altitude as close as we can and line us up with the Dasa Base’s Lansing strip. Here’s to hoping nobody wanders out in the open.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the outside, Gyro edged the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>closer. The wings of the two ships nudged one another before he gently eased it into a nook on the side of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe.</span>
  </em>
  <span> On the other side; Marcus jolted slightly from the impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is like the old times when planes needed runways and shit. Old school landing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He wished it was Cassius Castonzo flying. Their warlock teammate was probably the best pilot on their team and his own ship had featured rolling wheels that were reminiscent of how craft initially took to the skies in rolling down a long runway. Of course it could take off like a regular VTOL jumpship ike any other.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank the Traveler I kind of listened when he explained landing on a runway. That’s what we’re about to do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Except the runways Golden Age aircraft used to use were several thousand feet long. The landing strip just to the mansion’s west side wasn’t even a fraction of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was the only place where he could set the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>down without collateral damage. And the Vanguard didn’t need more bad PR with the awoken with them crashing their ships right into the warehouses and light industrial sections of the city right next to the Dasa Base.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It fought him every bit of the way as he brought their vector to match and line up with the strip; a couple of hangars and a tall traffic control tower. He could see several unoccupied drone bombers lining the side, part of a long range bombing wing that used this as their home base.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ eyes flashed to the altimeter, automatically moving to extend all flaps and dragfins to bleed out as much airspeed as he could without them dropping like a rock. Gravity was significantly lighter than on Earth out in the Reef, so he had eased off the throttle even more, compensating for the lethargic descent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Altitude is low.” Onyx said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t help that. We need the speed or we’ll stall right on top of everyone.” Marcus knew their approach was one not directed to air traffic, often kept to the outskirts and mountains in the background to reduce noise pollution.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gyro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Came the reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right before we hit just shy of the strip, I’m gonna flare out to slow you down as soon as possible. Fire your engines in reverse thrust in short bursts. You’re likely going to make a hard landing against the far wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh okay. Have you done this before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. But it’s your best bet to save yourself and Ailsa before you break free from the gravity field around Reefedge and go into a boundless spin into oblivion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No pressure right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right.” Despite the grim circumstances on a whim thing he had never attempted before, Marcus managed a grin. “No pressure mate. You got this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gyro said nothing, but he heard what constituted as a soft whimper.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We seriously need her okay. Finding a new mom is bad and it feels strange calling Jadyn that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The two touching ships were low enough that Marcus could see flashes of gunfire and explosions along the base’s front fencing and gate. The spider-like walkers were dropped in the middle of a large square and slowly advancing up towards the courtyard of the Dasa mansion. More of those ugly faceless fallen were alongside it. He could also see a sizable contingent of guardians and awoken that had sprung up on the defending walls, already engaged in a battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh we picked the best time to make our entrance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The wall was just barely beneath them when they passed over and Marcus flared his ship up, able to bleed out a portion of the speed before he detached the makeshift coupling, flipping back to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>VTOL mode.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>stern struck the ground in a bone crunching screech as its belly laid flat, throwing up sparks that fanned out behind like a fox’s tail. Gyro was low-key glad his guardian wasn’t conscious to see her own ship being ripped apart. He did as Marcus had instructed, firing the engines’ reverse thrusters in sporadic bursts, painstakingly watching as the wall approached...with them having no sign of losing speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was disheartened to see the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>had yet to slow down as it plowed past a row of the bomber drones, tearing them apart in shearing metal and fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Incoming!” Onyx shouted. He had been paying so much attention to Ailsa that he narrowly dove the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> down to avoid a salvo of missiles shot at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spinning around; he was able to see an even larger group of fallen that were making landfall in front of the Dasa Base. One of their walkers had a honeycomb of a missile battery on its back. And it was warming up while looking straight at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just hoped that Ailsa’s skid had been arrested. Otherwise the team could potentially lose her forever.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Gyro wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>had been thrown into a tailspin straight out of a kiddie ride, which inadvertently saved from the deathly barrel roll that would’ve shredded the craft to pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All because part of a wing was shot up by our own.” He muttered sarcastically, turning his attention to Ailsa. Before he could tend to her, he had noticed movement outside the cockpit glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Any hopes of being rescued were strangled when he saw more of those mutant undead fallen opening fire, void blasts peppering the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s hull. It wouldn’t be long before they got their way through. There were no shipboard weapons and Ailsa’s gear was wedged in between parts of the armory lockers, but had caved when they skidded across the ground. No amount short of a Titan’s strength would be enough to get it free, but he had the advantage of transmitting it to his storage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A trickle of dark blood leaked from Ailsa’s lips and Gyro was relieved to see her chest gently rising and falling, despite being fully slumped over the sputtering controls. Her hand was lazily on top of the joystick, but her expression was surprisingly as if she had fallen into a peaceful slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghost played his healing beam, diagnosing her with a concussion that was erased along with the other lacerations and bruising along her cheeks and forehead. She stirred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh. What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another happy landing.” He said. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes blinked rapidly and she reached up to rub them. “I feel like I got hit in the chest with a fist of havoc.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not quite, but I’m afraid your ship isn’t going anywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa stopped. “Oh no...that’s not good. Are we okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For now.” He spun around to show her the outside, where the incoming Scorn were still firing on the ship. “But we’ve got visitors opening a second front to take the Dasa Base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure where he went.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa knew the hatch was jammed shut and they had no choice but to transmat out. However that would leave both of them vulnerable to the fallen outside, who were more than ready to cut them to pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weapons?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got everything here for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Ailsa’s grenade launcher; the Play of the Game was phased into her hands, two full magazines of four grenades each. “Well I’m sure this is nothing that tape and a lot of paperwork can’t fix.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shooting your way out?” Gyro asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grinned at him. “Oh no. We’re making an entrance and getting as many of these uglies as we can. They’re not fallen anymore. And then we’re shooting our way out.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The multitude of Scorn crept closer to the crashed ship, already seeing the trapped awoken inside. Many of them went into a bloodthirsty frenzy at the chance to kill her as well as many of the unarmed ones that would fall victim to them once the base fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A large beefy one approached, wielding flaming torches in both of its larger arms and plunged them down onto where the cockpit glass of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span> met the hull. The others surrounding it cheered with glee, more than ready to ravenously tear her apart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What the Scorn didn’t realize or even see was the growing smirk the guardian had behind her helmet. They were so fixated on cutting away the seal of the windowsill that they never noticed that she was more than ready for their arrival. Air hissed loudly as the pressure equalized with the outside and oxygen found a way in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the large one’s arms went down to grasp the glass; Ailsa’s feet kicked out and the entire front of the cockpit blew out with an explosive whoosh, flying clear of the craft. The muscular fallen was caught right in the middle of it along with two other lackeys that had wandered too close. They had been carried along as the glass frame crashed into the wall, falling back to the ground and leaving a meaty purple-red stain as the sole remnant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa has jumped out with the same energy as she had when she armed the escape mechanism on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Six explosive bolts blew off the hatch which would allow for a fast ejection should the jumpship require it. But instead, she had used the explosion to dispatch a few of her assailants, surprising them who thought they had an easy picking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While airborne, she had quickly mapped the position of the remainder and fired all four grenades from her launcher. They accelerated towards the ground, impacting in devastating arc explosions to decimate the attacking Scorn as they shrieked in agony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even as she landed and saw more coming, she didn’t stop. Ammo was out and Gyro was busy loading her heavy once again, courtesy of the weapon mod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A large captain like Scorn towered over her, snarling and letting unmannered globs of spittle fly everywhere. It swiped at her with arms as thick as tree trunks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa calmly ducked down, rolling out of its reach and lashing out with her right hand, driving the knife just underneath its armpit; both a large exploitable pressure point and a gap between an eliksni’s ribs to puncture their ether breathing lungs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As her knife sunk in, a dense cloud of dark bluish gas hissed our violently, mixed with a viscous spurt of eliksni blood. However it seemed that the captain had shrugged off the blow for the most part and kept coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa dodged a second one, but couldn’t avoid a large bludgeon of a shotgun it carried when it smacked her on the backside with its stock. Her shoulder flared in pain, but she managed to ignore it enough to draw her rifle and fire off a couple of bursts that took off its head in a stream of ether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken hunter had spent a considerable time with various fallen that had little to no quarrel with humanity. She was one of the few guardians who truly believed that not all of the species as a whole were wanting to annihilate humans or see them as enemies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her hope, thanks to the two small villages in F-Rida that she could help prove her idea that the two species could one day work together to help survive in these dark times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet these Scorn were obvious abominable experiments done by a twisted madman for their own devious schemes. She refused to believe that every single one of their ranks was made so willingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to agree with Jadyn’s ghost Solomon when he insisted that the Scorn hadn’t derived from fallen naturally. There was a darker force at work that was behind the horrifying zombified remains that turned these sentient beings into bloodthirsty marionettes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, more of that disgusting corrupted ether.” Gyro said as he joined his guardian who had stood over the ranks of Scorn she had slain. “But I’m glad you’re okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa modded, stowing her grenade launcher and looking back at the remains of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Thanks for not letting me down like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If a ghost could blush, Gyro would have done so. But he beamed at his guardian. “You should really be thanking Marcus. He was the one who stuck with you the whole time until I could crash land it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see a lot of paperwork in my future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well at least cheer up. You’re on the mountainside with crisp air and enough room to stretch your arms and legs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Good point.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But let’s not stick around here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something caught Ailsa’s eye and she strode over to the Scorn captain’s corpse. Her hands went down to its waist, finding a hand-sized device that had squiggly lines of eliksni text rapidly scrolling in an erratic manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them knew that she was able to read and roughly translate the language as well as fluently speak it. Even though they were scavengers and lowlifes; the fallen had a surprising amount of sophistication to their electronics and technology, one of which was individual identification. Like humans and awoken; fallen too had fingerprints with no two alike even across the digits on all four limbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa was familiar with the device; similar to phones used in the City. Because the captain had clutched its shotgun on the right side; she knew it was right handed and figured that it would use a finger on that side to identify and unlock the keyguard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, it was on her fifth try that the screen went out, showing three signals.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Signals originating from three locations across Reefedge City.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The bulk of the fighting was taking place on the Dasa mansion’s front courtyard. Acorn walkers had easily breached the perimeter around, rapidly advancing up the hills with every single member more than eager to throw themselves away to kill a single guardian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their advance cut through the first wave of defenders; mostly frames and automated defenses, but as the guardians had managed to mobilize a counterattack; they had dug themselves into the ruins of the barricades hastily erected, ironically turning it in their favor as the defenders found it difficult to pick them off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quartet of Drake main battle tanks blasted shells and missile volleys against the Scorn walkers. The rounds of both combatants whistling overhead as the foot soldiers battled one another. Close to the main building; Banner had taken control of the automated defenses, pouring thunder into the sky on the other skiffs moving to deliver enemy reinforcements. The Scorn were more than eager to make sacrifices, easily exposing themselves, but as a guardian or gunner cut them down, it was like an entire colony noticed and would pour a sheer volume of fire in that direction in a desperate attempt to kill their target. More than one guardian ended up being a victim to this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, get us in range of the heavy walkers in the back shelling the base.” Marcus edged the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> up, bringing her about to go on a strafe run and slowing her to a crawl. The weapon system’s targeting was brought up, already highlighting and adjusting the aim of his onboard guns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s tear some shit up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Dasa Base’s defense guns fortunately didn’t turn on him and neither did the other guardians...who were too preoccupied with the waves of Scorn rapidly advancing to the edge of the courtyard. Even as scores of them were cut down, more scrambled over the corpses of their comrades.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s to hoping to steer clear. Here comes the thunder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus set his targeting onto the closest walker, spinning the twin guns up hot and unleashing a stream of solar fire on the closest one. Slaved to the computer, each side featured three rotating barrels that would ramp up in rate until they would overheat and slow down. They also had the ability to be manually vented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first walker was ripped apart, exploding in a shower of torn metal that took out a handful of Scorn close by. He saw another one, a tall muscled fallen that raised its palms at him, shooting off a blast of lightning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately he was distant enough to strafe to the right to avoid it, while squirting off another burst that made it literally disappear. There were three other walkers, pausing their siege of the perimeter and lankily turning their large bulky chassis to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus calmly waited, lucky that all of them popped their missile batteries at the same time and weaved his ship around them. His thumb wrapped around the joystick as he centered the targeting system right on two of the walkers close together. The computer beeped at him and he armed a missile, shooting it straight in between the two and airburst detonating it straight in between.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ajax whizzed by the advancing Scorn, blowing one of the walkers over on its back and burning the second one. An explosion found its way into the munitions storage, finishing it off for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down below, he could see the ground guardians rally the others and they pushed forward, a pair of sentinel titans throwing up wards to shield a front from a missile barrage. Behind them, more fireteams had managed to turn the tide, now confident that the enemy advance had been stalled thanks to the armed ship assisting them. Marcus saw a garage pad from the Dasa Mansion’s side open up, the headlights of a pair of Drake tanks emerging to join the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m picking up faint signals coming from the Dasa Base’s air traffic control center. They’re trying to hail us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear it up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can.” Onyx said. “I’m still getting interference from something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something in the city? Could these fallen be jamming us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not going to find out flying. Set us down. We’ve done all we can.” Marcus could see that the Scorn had begun a full retreat, however both guardians and awoken forces had them trapped in a pincer movement just at the edge of the perimeter. If the encounter on the ketch told him anything, none would take up an offer to surrender and go peacefully, instead preferring to die in combat. It still struck him that he had yet to see any sort of fallen command figure. While kells liked to direct from fortifications, they also wanted to join in battle themselves, believing that it would inspire and motivate the others under their command if they led a charge despite exposing themselves as a priority target whenever spotted on the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus set the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> down on the main landing pad just in front of the Dasa Mansion as Onyx took over briefly to move it to an open section on the landing strip to its left. He took a long look at the old-looking building that stretched in front of him, noticing several sections scorched and crumbling from taking hits during the attack. The staccato of gunfire continued to rattle in the distance, but the fight had turned into a rout as the tide eventually had turned on the attacking fallen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked the path connecting the landing strip, taking a look at the destruction they had caused in their emergency landing. Sure enough the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>had remained relatively intact, but parts of its wings and stabilizer fins had been sheared off, leaving a grisly trail of scorched metal and alloy of its frame when it skidded across the ground. Along with the wreckage of the bomber drones, he could smell it with leaking fuel, something close to burnt plastic. Even more surprising were the few strewn bodies of the same disfigured fallen that had been efficiently killed. So they had tried to open a second front; flank while the bulk of their invasion tried to brute force their way through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gyro?” He asked through their strat-comm. “Are you and Ailsa alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Her ghost replied. “Now that most of the attack has been repelled, we’ve been called by Lord Dasa himself to be debriefed on everything. And it’s a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No thanks to these guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dasa’s also been asking about you too. So I’d get up here in time. We’ll be free soon and Jadyn should be coming to meet us to resupply.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was about to ask why she changed her mind at the last minute, flying directly to the Tangled Shore instead, but held his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That girl is crazy.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>There were guardian and awoken milling all about, busy at work when he got to the front of the Dasa mansion. He entered the gates and walked along a gravel path through the rolling parkland. In the attack’s aftermath, there were a couple visible guardians patrolling the outskirts, they waved him through once Onyx verified his identity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The building’s front was made of snowy white marble, large pillars supporting a domed roof that seemed to effortlessly shrug off any bit of gunfire or explosive that was thrown at it. There were stone urns with flowering bushes on the side, nearly twice as big as himself. He gawked at the size of the double doors that slid open at his approach, large enough to drive a Drake tank unobstructed through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he entered inside; the foyer reached several heights up with flowing staircases on either side. A big chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft blue light. Other guardians nodded to him, moving about on patrols while others carried repair tools and some gathered around a large holotable where an entire board of jobs, bounties and assignments were posted. A timer was ticking down in the side, indicating when the board would refresh with new postings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire facility was strikingly awoken in architecture, but the large metal Vanguard emblem with lighting on the wall behind was a distinct sign that this was a place where City folk and guardians were welcome as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was greeted by a floating ghost who idled up to them and twirled its green shell. “Hello there. You must be Guardian Lynch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” He said. “This is Onyx.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pleased to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And me as well. I’m Banner. Lord Dasa is expecting the both of you for an immediate debrief. If you’ll follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Banner floated up one of the stair flights as Marcus jogged after him, exchanging brief pleasantries with everyone that passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose it’s thanks to you that we’re safe.” The ghost quietly said. “And also why we’re a beehive of activity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe me, I didn’t come expecting to have to do all that either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not only do we have to get ourselves back in shape, but the people of Reefedge were hit too by the Scorn. We’ve got emergency responder teams taking in all the wounded we can, even with the hospitals and healers full to capacity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t know it was this bad.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Banner went up to a frosted glass door, telling Marcus to wait and then phased inside. He reappeared a moment later as the door unlocked and slid open noiselessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lord Dasa awaited him at the end, sitting in a large swiveling chair behind a desk. His glowing eyes fixated on the newcomer. He did his best not to be intimidated by the awoken man’s haughty clothing or sharply combed dark hair with silvery white streaks. A distinctive glowing tattoo was on his forehead, a marking of the Dasa mafia family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa was also there with Gyro and rushed over to him, throwing her arms around her teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank goodness you’re okay!” She said. “Are you hurt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom,” Marcus rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. I should be asking you that question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Landings are mandatory!” Gyro exclaimed, flying in between the hunters before glaring at Marcus. “And this guy did not give me much confidence in landing a jumpship like an old aircraft made centuries ago!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I told you the odds of survivability and probability of failure, I’m sure you would’ve shit yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx piped up. “He’s not lying. Marcus may not be as good as Cass, but I’m pretty sure even he would’ve said the same thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lord Dasa had said nothing, but a hint of amusement flickered behind his stone-faced expression. He crossed over and bowed to Marcus with a hand crossed directly over his face. Because he wasn’t awoken himself, the custom for humans and exos was to return the gesture, but hold arms and hands behind one’s back. Rank and social standing were also a factor; a commander or someone from within the Dasa clan would have someone bow to him deeper to signify more respect given.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardian Lynch.” Dasa spoke in a voice with a formality. “Greetings and welcome to my humble abode. I am Kymil Elvaris Dasa, the patriarch of my clan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Lord Dasa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waved to the door and Banner shut it. As soon as the room enveloped into silence, his demeanor instantly changed to something more casual and laid back. The penetrating stare he had pegged Marcus with was now easygoing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I apologize if I put you on edge like that.” Dasa sat back in his chair. “I still have to act the Dasa part to help maintain relations with the Reef and keep a City consulate here. Guardians get the guardian side of me.” Banner flew to Dasa’s shoulder and Marcus found the sight to be odd and paradoxical. “My name as a hunter is Ferral.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes went to the human. “I’ve actually seen your work you’ve done to mod weapons and shaderjobs. You really are the best in the business. Perhaps one day I’ll put in a request with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus smiled, knowing that he took a lot of pride in his work and side job while not on duty. “Thank you. Do let me know in the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral nodded. “Before we begin, can I get you anything to eat or drink?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever is fine for food and bottled water please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On cue, Banner transmatted a plate of circular flat crackers and neat slices of a pale white cheese. Ferral explained that it was milked from the local goats, a speciality and popular snack among Reefedge’s residents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been meaning to thank the both of you for aiding in repelling the Scorn attack on Dasa Base. We’ve got plenty to clean up, no thanks to your crash landing that wrecked part of the ship docks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Marcus and Ailsa cringed inwardly at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah sorry about that.” She said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral waved it off with a grin. “Still a hell of a landing, even though I’m partly to blame since I had the base’s defensive emplacements target any ship coming too close and comms were down. All in all just a bad situation and I’m glad you were able to survive. Property can be repaired and I’ll see to the local shipwright that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arbiter Harmonic </span>
  </em>
  <span>will be fully restored.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Ailsa smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, the early diagnosis he had made was pretty bad, so it could take a considerable amount of time before it’s functional again.” He opened a file folder. “Now Zavala has sent me orders regarding your deployment to the Reef. Ailsa, I take it that you’re familiar with the device you recovered from the Scorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Scorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral nodded. “The Scorn are the new player out here on the Tangled Shore, taking control of the local area faster than anything I’ve seen out here. Ferocious, bloodthirsty zombified remains of fallen raised from the dead thanks to their leader’s black magic. If they attacked us just now, you can bet that they were also responsible for trying to fire that missile at us. We’ve identified eight Baron leaders of the Scorn and the head of them all is known as Fikrul the Fanatic. He was the only one to have escaped imprisonment when Cayde and his crew stopped their initial run to take over the Tangled Shore. Fikrul’s got that power to make dead fallen as ravenous marionettes with bestial instincts and no free will. I’ve had patrols encounter them sparsely until roughly a week ago. When Cayde died at the hands of Uldren.” Ferral’s eyes dipped down and his mouth formed a tight crease.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...now we’re here to make sure he didn’t go quietly.” Marcus said. “It’s hard to believe he’s gone...like really gone for good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde...helped vouch for me when things got really tough.” The Dasa said quietly. “It felt like an eternity ago...but I...accidentally killed my wife’s ghost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Marcus and Ailsa drew in a sharp breath, they knew very well what could happen if a guardian was responsible for the death of another’s ghost...even if it wasn’t intentional.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He managed to convince Commander Zavala that it was an accident...and it was. I never meant to hurt Niki or any other ghost. So I was cleared of the impending charges and it was his help that we managed to set this base up for our operations after the Taken War.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ailsa gently put a hand on his shoulder. “He was our Vanguard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then know that I’m fully supportive of you hunting down Uldren and the Scorn responsible, even though my hands are tied. Political endeavors between the other regional leaders of the awoken have been extremely delicate and bringing in teams of guardians on a massive manhunt will make things even worse now. I’m afraid that I can’t send any form of support for you out here other than be a way station for resupply.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine. We knew the risks when we’d be doing this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ve heard plenty about Guardian Amaris, Cayde’s young...apprentice. She’s the whole hunter package...headstrong and stubborn. She thinks she can be a one-woman army against Uldren, Fikrul and the rest of their cronies. I don’t even know fully how much territory they’ve encroached upon. Tread carefully you two, there won’t be many people out there willing to watch your back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral looked as if he was going to say something when a device on his desk began to wink a light. He stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me for a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Banner likely was putting the conversation in his earpiece as his guardian answered with his Lord Dasa persona returning. He said his name and listened, but Marcus and Ailsa could see his frown deepening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hung up just a moment later and turned to his ghost. “Notify Lethia that we need all available warlocks in the industrial district. The hospitals are already too overwhelmed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters looked at him in alarm. “What’s going on?” Ailsa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My teams found the bombs linked up to the detonator you recovered and an attempt to disarm one had set it off.” He stood up. “There’s been dozens wounded, guardians and awoken alike. Authorities have closed off the industrial district, deeming it a biohazard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dark ether.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Conspiracy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, Brav is back with another chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed what I had last time and looks forward to what I have in store. I'll be writing this until it's either done or I run out of steam. Hopefully the former.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jadyn’s dreams ran wild as she slept on the folded out bed in her ship’s cabin. After securing the <em>Lost Legend</em> and hiding it in a dark cavernous outcropping away from any town or camp, she battened down the hatches and set up a short perimeter to alert her of an approaching intruder. Once that was finished and closing the cabin up; she stripped herself out of her armor and undersuit, stepping into a narrow sealed section where a small nozzle overhead would provide a relieving, but temporary stream of warm water for what constituted for a shower. It was a far luxury to her own back in her Tower apartment, barely spacious enough to fit her and one other person from end to end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled strands of her wet hair behind her head, blinking in the dim light as her mind got lost in the rapid splashing of the streams that ran along her smooth alabaster skin. On cue, Solomon transmatted a fresh undersuit at the shower’s front and she slipped it on, walking over to her lowered bed and passing out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind slipped and she fell forward, arms going out at just the last second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was there, standing right in front of the Traveler. Glancing down, she was no longer bare...her undersuit and armor apparently phased back on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air felt pleasant and open between her boots and the distant ground. Even the skyscrapers in the City’s center seemed to be thousands of feet down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn Amaris.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter half flinched at the disembodied, ethereal voice that seemed to echo from nowhere and everywhere at once, combining the tones of a male and female.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of light caught her eye as it emanated from somewhere within the Traveler’s mighty center. Once a whole mysterious entity that floated lifelessly above the Last City, it had appeared to have woken from its catatonic state, fragmenting large parts of its shell that orbited its husk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>During its dormant period, the warlock known as the Speaker was the only person who spoke on the Traveler’s behalf. However it still remained a mystery on whether or not the paracausal being had actually communed with him at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn gasped as the light swirling in front, coalescing into a humanoid figure before it faded and solidified into a sharper, more defined person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warlocks had constantly studied the Traveler religiously, but some of the Speaker’s research apparently theorized that it spoke or communicated with its guardians all in different manners. Some through an avatar of sorts and others through visions. Nobody ever fully understood what they meant or even if the signs happened to be messages or connections...but in the midst of the Red War, Jadyn was led by a long vision while knocked unconscious in her confrontation with Dominus Ghaul more than a year ago and she was led to a shard that had fallen to Earth’s surface where she was able to regain her light powers. She was the only guardian to have evidently been given messages by the paracausal being, other than a young warlock that had become a guardian mere years before herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was the first time she had seen the Traveler manifest itself into an avatar and she was both fascinated and frightened at the flawless mirror image of herself. Traveler avatar Jadyn smiled and she felt a twinge of uneasiness creep into her limbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T-Traveler?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, my child.” The female voice began to dominate over the male’s. “You have gone above and beyond in using your gift of Light to protect humanity from the dangers of the system.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I...thank you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“However there is more to the Light than what you and your fellow guardians have been practicing. Each and every day, your peers find more ways to craft it into weapons to drive away humanity’s enemies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s so much I want to say. Everyone down there treats me like I am some hero.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you are. As are the other guardians who serve alongside you. I chose you to rise and become legend for a reason. All else you have accomplished has been your doing.” The avatar allowed a thin smile to grace her features. “And that is why I believe that you can manifest your Light in different ways to augment your abilities. The enemies of humanity are adapting, as you may have found out. Now it’s time for you to adapt once again. I'll show you how.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve shown me?” Jadyn asked. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The avatar smiled at her again. “The one you call Ikora Rey has been very wise in your counsel. I cannot communicate with you the same as your peers or in this state every time. But you must trust your instincts. The fight in the years to come will be more grueling than ever...and your peers look up to you to herald and shepherd the way forward in these uncertain times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn shook her head. “But how am I supposed to know where to go? I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust in the Light my child. Think of a place where it has touched and then let it guide you as it did to the thousands who have come and gone before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Io.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Traveler...I never would have thought we’d have a heart to heart like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are strange times.” Traveler’s avatar replied, beginning to shimmer as it faded away in her dreams. “Find the Seed. Let it empower and enlighten you in the next step of your journey as a guardian and herald of the Light. My Light will be with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Jadyn felt her hand reaching out as she saw her mirrored self disappear. She glanced down, sensing gravity taking hold of her body as she began the deathly plummet below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She awoke with a gasp, sitting up and letting the thin blanket drape down at her legs. A thin layer of sweat beaded at her exposed skin in between sleepwear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn?” Solomon’s eye blinked a bright blue as he was roused out of his dormant sleep by her. “Is everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped for a minute to catch her breath, reminding herself that nothing happened and she was safe inside her ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any movement outside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon looked through the sensors they had placed to detect anyone approaching them. “No nothing. Not since you returned.” He floated gently off the ground to her side. “Are you still tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little bit.” But her stomach growled as she looked at the clock, seeing that she had slept for nearly seven hours. “I’ve been having those visions again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ones by the Traveler.” Solomon said more than asked. “Is it trying to tell you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not tell. Show. All I know is that whatever it wanted to show me...it’s on Io.” Jadyn rolled over and sat on the edge of her bed, set on transmatting her undersuit and armor on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed her helmet resting on her nightstand and pinned her hair back in a rough ponytail before sealing her mask over her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to go to Io.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn, that’s probably not the best idea.” Solomon protested. “Spider’s not going to be happy if we’re not there to help him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been waiting here for days and there’s still no sign of that Knight Prince he’s been after.” She snorted. “I think I can spare a four hour trip to Io.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what happens when the Prince actually pops on our radar while you’re gone and then disappears once you come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it’s like trying to spite me.” She stopped, despite arguing with her ghost, she knew that he was right. Petra told her that Spider could come off as impatient on bounties at times and voluntarily waiting on her end to string him along didn’t do herself any favors in earning his trust and cooperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had information on Uldren and the Scorn, so she would simply have to suck it up, ignoring the Traveler’s call. It would be the first time she would willingly ignore it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wouldn’t be the last.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Dammit!” Jadyn cursed out loud as the arrow from her bow had flown way off course from her mock target close by her ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How hard can this be?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She angrily thought, glaring at the other arrows that had embedded themselves into the rock, only one had managed to hit the paper target at the top left corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you should give it a rest.” Solomon suggested. “Nothing good is going to come from you needlessly aggravating yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I’ll stop, once I get this right.” She ignored Solomon’s exasperated sigh and nocked another arrow. “This thing didn’t even come with a manual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because it’s reserved for the elite awoken archers. They’ve trained with these since they were kids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn scoffed, twisting the bow in her hands. “And I’m sure they’ll laugh at a guardian trying and failing miserably at using this. Not like any of them would want to teach a *deadfreak* anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about your fellow hunters? Many of them also use bows while out in the wilds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus is probably the last person I would want to teach me anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say Marcus specifically. I just said a fellow hunter.” Solomon resisted the urge to chuckle when Jadyn realized she had been caught red-handed and her cheeks flushed so slightly. “But since he’s on your mind, try again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a better idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drew the arrow back, focusing her aim on the paper target, no sooner did the green light on the side of the bow’s frame start to rapidly blink to indicate that the string’s tension would give out and the arrow would automatically be released.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The practice seemed easy at first, but she soon found herself getting increasingly frustrated that her aim would always be off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bows were uncommon weapons, but during her time as a guardian she had begun to see them start to make a comeback due to their low maintenance and lightweight reliability. No fear of jamming, decent stopping power, far quieter than any gun with a suppressor. Solomon had said that arrows were easier and quicker to form out of the ammo synths as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had seen a couple of hunters with bows, often going out to the field after game or even using them in crucible. A little terrifying, given the weapon’s rather unconventional status.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Easy to use my ass.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ailsa can help, but even if she were to, it’s still going to come down to you and how you’ll learn. Remember hand cannons? You had a hard time trying to use them in the Crucible and now you’re an ace with it. I don’t think you’ve even stowed away Trust since the Drifter handed it out to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knew he was right as she glanced down to see the revolver’s wooden handle sticking out of her hip holster. She also remembered how horrible she was with using hand cannons; a hunters’ signature weapon before going to one of the firing ranges during her off days. Soon she had gotten so good with one, she was able to quickly draw, aim and shoot in the blink of an eye...practically never missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One more time. Keep it tense.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She breathed in, drawing the arrow and holding it taught against the bow’s frame, centering the pronged ironsights on the mounted paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She released the string.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The arrow whistled through the air and impacted the bottom half of her target, still not perfect to the aim, but it had been her best shot yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See?” Solomon encouraged. “Progress not perfection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded, satisfied with it for now. She had her ghost store it away and retrieved her shotgun before moving to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s cargo bay doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They opened down with a hiss, revealing the sleek sparrow inside. She pulled it out and fired the engine, causing it to float slightly off the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sparrows were also as much of a part of a guardian’s inventory as a ghost and a jumpship. It was a light, agile hovering bike that could be used to rapidly cover great distances. Though unarmed, Jadyn was able to fire her hand cannon while driving and use the handlebars for short bursts of dodging laterally from side to side. Doing so consumed the power cell’s rechargeable energy, which could be replenished when the boosters were powered down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that practice is over, what are you planning to do now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go after those bounties that I took from Spider.” She straddled the seat on her sparrow. “It’s about getting that time where everyone comes out to play.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had only been on the Tangled Shore for a couple of days and activity was normal during the daytime hours. But when the distant sun was obscured by the overhanging clouds for ten hours as the Reef’s “night” cycle, many of the gangs, syndicates and outlaws became more active.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had spent her other times collecting sparse bounties, taking down notable figureheads on the Shore and even having to help Spider’s men secure a containment cell that had drifted away from the Prison of Elders. The fallen captain had landed in the Thieves’ Landing region and put up a fight, but she had managed to use the pod’s emergency cryo bombs to freeze it solid and arrange for a proper transmat back to the awoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her newest bounty involved clearing hive in the Jetsam of Saturn; an area to the south that seemed to have a large infestation from a crashed tombship that dominated the landscape. All of the races seemed to have a foothold; fallen, hive, cabal and scorn..and their constant warring with one another over territory and other squabbles never made things around quiet. Once all her bounties she had collected were done, it was another trip to Spider’s lair where hopefully she would be able to gain his trust and the location of where Uldren was scheming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been distant lately.” Solomon said as she gunned the throttle, rocketing the sparrow forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Distant. I can tell you’re still focused, but you’re normally pretty chipper and lively when on any mission.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t like any mission.” Jadyn caught the eyes of fallen as she sped through the Thieves Landing, she was going too fast for them to react in time. “We’re not going back to the City and being hailed like a hero...like last time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re doing the right thing. We’re making sure Cayde’s legacy isn’t ending because he was cocky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Even though that was exactly what got him killed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I’m...like that? Haughty or cocky?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ghost was quiet for a moment. “If you’re asking me if I think you have an ego, the answer is yes. But all guardians do to a degree, especially hunters. You know your type doesn’t like to take losing sitting down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the support.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you asked.” Solomon let out a light chuckle. “But don’t take that as a bad thing. It’s all a part of who you are as a person and a guardian. Sometimes being cocky is a good thing. It shows confidence, something you have in spades, but it also shows bull-headedness. Also another distinct quality of yours. It’s gotten you in trouble and out of it too. You are you...nobody else can be you. That's a part of who you are as my guardian and I know I made the right choice...like I've said before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Little Light. Sometimes I keep forgetting that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. Remember that I’m always going to be here for you.” Solomon said warmly. “I always will. Now let’s go kill some hive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded, coming into the open area where the growls of the insectlike aliens echoed off the rocks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trust was drawn from her holster.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Reefedge City’s industrial district was situated relatively close to the Dasa Base, grids of large metal warehouses that were closer to the mountains storing machinery, supplies both raw and refined and food. Since the climate didn’t support many types of agricultural options, many of them had to be imported in from the awoken cities and towns that were more hospitable and suited for their growth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus and Ailsa trailed Ferral on their own sparrows alongside a team of warlocks that immediately set out towards the site of the detonation. They all gasped at the ominous cloud of dark blue gas that hovered over the area, mushrooming out and dissipating further into the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez. That’s a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa felt a lump form in her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They reached the ground zero and dismounted their sparrows. The warlocks accompanying them were shown by awoken law enforcement to an area where they had herded the dead and wounded. Each guardian took a deep breath, forming a wide circle of Light and pulsing a regenerative energy to heal those that could. A crowd of civilians were already surrounding the place, watching as guardians and awoken worked tirelessly to contain the spread of the agent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bomb’s conventional blast had ripped up the street, piling rubble everywhere and throwing vehicles away and turned over as if they were toys treated by an ill-tempered child. The crater was close to one of the corners, the sinister ether clouds curling densely on the ground and drawn in by a ventilator to prevent further contamination. However the smoke had carried traces of it, billowing up in the sky and likely able to be seen for miles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Marcus looked a little bit blanched at seeing so much of the corrupted ether, combined with the harmful effects of it on the awoken who were unfortunate enough to inhale an unhealthy dose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever it was; it was probably not good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lord Dasa.” The accent was clearly human as a titan who looked to be in charge of the site bowed to Ferral, who returned the gesture. “Glad you could make it.” He gestured to his ghost hovering by his shoulder. “Whip just managed to bring me back...after I...kind of wasn’t able to disarm it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just recently?” Ferral asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” The ghost had a soft feminine voice. “Bullard worked very hard, but once we went under...that cloud covered the ground and I felt something really deep...and sinister. It prevented me from finding my guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bullard held up charred pieces with the scraggly white paint typical of fallen with the crude metal spikes protruding out in random directions. “A failsafe. As soon as the bomb’s sensors detect it being tampered with, it goes off. Nasty stuff and we weren’t able to evacuate everyone away in time. The rest of the team was able to save as many as they could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get this to the labs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Lord Dasa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Banner,” Ferral said. “Get ahold of the awoken and tell them to clear a full block of the suspected locations of the other bombs. We’re not letting anyone else in until it’s all clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa walked forward, Gyro transmitting a pair of gloves on her hands and she knelt down, examining the remnants of the bomb that looked to be adhered to the side of an underground pipe that ran across the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See something?” Marcus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral and Bullard joined her as she put her hands on the side of the metallic casing. The bomb was ovoid shaped with bulging outlines along the center connecting to the scorched top where the blast was specifically funneled forcefully like a pneumatic hose. Anything or anyone who was caught right above it would instantly become atomized by both fire and air pressure multiplied tenfold. Ailsa wouldn’t have been surprised if they found pieces from the blast several blocks over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But while the explosive would cause the damage up above, it seemed that the dense ether clouds were instead flowing out from the bomb’s bottom. She frowned, looking closer...something seemed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen this kind of thing before.” She said. “Back when the Silent Fang used to terrorize the City. The House of Wolves would smuggle similar weapons along with the saboteurs in the shipping containers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral knew the Silent Fang, a special elite unit of the House of Wolves who tried to distract the Vanguard from Reef affairs by sending their agents into smuggled cargo and then causing chaos in the City. From simple rampages to crude explosives; they had been a nuisance for years before guardian patrols began to take place inside the City to supplement the thinly stretched law enforcement. Ailsa had been on such patrols during Razoredge’s early days of formation and thwarted numerous Silent Fang attacks with Storm and Etalan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The House of Wolves has all but disappeared.” He remarked. “They wouldn’t be concerned with this place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t say this was the Wolves’ doing.” Ailsa said. She spotted something else, brushing her finger along the metal casing to reveal a yellow and white colored painted symbol. It didn’t resemble any of the known fallen houses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Payback.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The symbol here.” Gyro explained. “It’s basically a fallen term for retaliation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Retaliation for what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure. Could be anything.” Ailsa stood up. “But I do know that a bomb like this wasn’t supposed to go off like this one did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like how then?” Marcus asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s supposed to shoot the gas agent at the same velocity as the blast and then slowly spread around afterwards. The fact it’s leaking from the bottom of the casing means it was either damaged or mounted improperly.” She looked up at them. “And I don’t think the Scorn are responsible either...not directly. As crude as this is; it’s too sophisticated outside their leadership. So someone high up would have planned this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral tapped his chin. “I could think of several members of the Scorn capable of such an attack. All dangerous in their own right. We’ll get this back to the labs and see if our techs can get more information on the composition.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he signaled more guardians joining them to help haul the remnants of the bomb out of the pipe, Marcus took one long surveying look around at the crowds of awoken watching. Some people were staring with uncertain expressions, others dismissive and some were even angry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then one individual caught his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike the range of emotions playing across the bystanders’ faces, the thirty something year old man stared blankly ahead, fixated on the blast crater without blinking or even moving. He could’ve been a statue for all he knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx.” He whispered, turning away so as to not attract attention to himself. “Our seven. Man. Late thirties. Looks stone faced.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause as she likely stayed phased and looked in that direction. “There’s so many awoken men who look like that.” His ghost said. “Who? Your point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He hasn’t taken his eyes off the crater...and he doesn’t seem like he’s moved on the tragedy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Found him. You can’t be serious suspecting he’s part of the bomb plot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serious enough that he came out to admire his handiwork. You ever notice how prideful the awoken are of their heritage...kind of stuck up prideful? Something like this would have them all angry and upset. This guy? Not so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So he doesn’t care...that doesn’t label him as a suspect. You’re not a cop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I know a shitstick when I see one.” As the group began to carry the remains of the bomb out of the pit, Onyx saw the man in question change his gaze to the device, eyes widening just slightly when that payback symbol was facing him, brushed clean of ashes and dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay you’re right. He knows something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time to find out what.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus strode forward in his direction, ignorant of the shouts that people sent his way full of not-so-nice things. The man kept his gaze on the bomb as a truck pulled up and the group loaded it onto its bed. As soon as it was out of sight from the back hatch, he turned to see the hunter just a few paces away, staring directly at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He immediately took off running, pushing people on either side and sprinting down the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t bother calling for backup, thrusting his arm out and activating his grapple wire. It shot out like a dart, sticking on the wall of a warehouse and he reeled himself up, going up and over the stunned crowds who were in the middle of turning around to watch the spectacle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was headed straight for a sleek looking motorized bike that was parked just at the edge of the crowd. If he got on quickly, he’d have a ten second head start before Onyx could move his sparrow on the opposite street. He quickly straddled the seat and gunned the engine loudly, tires screeching on the ground and kicking up puffs of smoke that smelled strongly of the burnt rubber.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no you don’t!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus shot another wire to the opposite warehouse, closing the distance and passing him from above before he latched onto the end and fired his opposite one straight into the ground just ahead. As soon as it went taught, he yanked on it with all his strength...empowered by the Light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Under normal circumstances there was no way an average person would’ve been able to pull that off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But guardians weren’t normal people. Not by a long shot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Part of the smooth pavement ripped out, flying backwards. The awoken was still accelerating to full speed and slammed on the brakes, but was too late. Marcus swung it onto the vehicle, causing it to flip over and fling the rider right off to tumble on the pavement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He landed close by, rolling to his feet and running forward. Marcus knew that he’d be lost if he made it past the fences of the adjacent warehouses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Using the roof, he shot another wire right behind his quarry, using the momentum from reeling it in to straighten his feet out in a dropkick. His heel struck the awoken’s back, knocking him to the side of the fence. To his surprise, the awoken flashed a curvy knife and swung it at the guardian with deadly precision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was barely able to dodge in time, but he couldn’t help when his opponent spun around, lashing out with a kick of his own that sent him toppling down. He whipped his legs back up, on his feet in a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on.” The arcstrider goaded. “I love a good fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just like a kumite-kun.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken struck with a wide blow that Marcus parried, using it to get him open while trying to go for a hooked slash with the knife’s crescent blade held in a waning hold. One swipe would snag his jugular artery, pulling it out of his neck before it severed, causing a fatal amount of blood to sprew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had Onyx to get him back up, but that would also mean this person would be in the wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knife came at him again, thrust low and tossed to the assassin’s other hand as he made a move to parry it again. Marcus shot his wire into part of the fence, pulling it out and forcing the awoken back where he teetered on its protruding edge. The off-balance let him dive in for the grapple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he again underestimated his arms. While one held the knife trying to keep his balance with both persons’ weight on it, his free arm elbowed back sharply catching Marcus’ nose and head jerking back. A trail of crimson blood trickled from it. However he wasn’t fast enough for him to wrench the arm behind his back and twist in another grapple maneuver to where the awoken was pinned to the ground by the arm. His free one came up in a desperate attempt to slash or stab at his attacker. Marcus knocked it away at the tip, sending it skittering across the pavement.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not this time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I asked for a good fight, expecting to be disappointed and still got let down.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“I got nothing to say to you deadfreaks. I am just a normal concerned bystander.” The awoken man spat venomously, glaring daggers at Ferral, Ailsa and Marcus. He sat in a chair in a bare holding cell with a warlock’s arc shackles bounding his hands to the edge of the desk, preventing him from a big range of movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why did you run?” Ferral asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was silent. He looked to be a bit younger than middle aged, greased black hair swept to one side that was common among awoken adults. Pale blue skin and striking blue eyes. A distinct scar ran across the left side of his jawbone, completely parallel with the line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not a bystander.” Marcus added. “Bystanders don’t fight like you did. So what were you? Corsair? Crow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the mention of the latter one, they had gotten a reaction. An unspoken one, but they could see the crease of his mouth tighten and his glare intensify.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no use denying it.” Ferral reached down to his belt, unsheathing a jewel studded knife that was the exact same as the one he had used to attack Marcus. It had a curved blade with a serrated front edge and a thinner fine tip, proficient for both slashing, stabbing and even throwing. “You used a talon knife, the signature weapon of the Crows. All known for being expert knife fighters, trained by Prince Uldren himself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare speak his name like that.” The crow growled, straining against his bonds. “Uldren is going to usher in a new era for the awoken as their rightful spot as the master race.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master race?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was no secret that the Reefborn’s reclusiveness also stemmed from a longstanding bias that awoken were superior to humans, exos and their own kind that inhabited the City. Neither Marcus or Ailsa were completely sure where they got that notion, but Ferral was originally from the Reef. Upon being resurrected as a guardian, any resentment ingrained inside that he had felt towards Cityfolk vanished along with the fond memories of his past life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If the awoken are so called master race, then why are you attacking your own people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because the guardians are not welcome here. They never will be. Not as long as the Crow’s Voice stands with the ideals of the Reef’s Prince. The traitor...Petra Venj has prostituted us to your City, poisoning our way of life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get a load of this guy.” Marcus muttered. “He’s definitely tripping on something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa glanced at the Crow, suddenly noticing the bulging veins in their prisoner’s neck and inky blackness completely covering the eye whites.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Look at his eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral looked closer, now starting to notice the mannerisms and attitude of the Crow were rather unusual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t hold me here. You’ve got nothing against me.” The man smirked at them. “I want my lawyer now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re gonna need one.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Ferral knew he would be able to hold the Crow’s Voice agent for much longer before the lawyers would be able to escort him free under the pretense of keeping the client longer against their will. Yet he couldn’t help but agree that this was just the beginning of an underlying plot that could destabilize Reefedge City and even the other Awoken areas surrounding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s kind of bold for him to proclaim his own organization claiming responsibility for such a big attack.” Marcus said once they were outside of the base’s interrogation rooms while looking in to watch their prisoner. “Crow’s Voice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral’s Dasa voice slipped back in. “I don’t know other than the fact that it's a subdivision in the Crow intelligence agency that basically acts as Uldren’s right hand. They were clearly unhappy when Cayde and Petra threw him into the Prison of Elders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are they doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably what you saw on that bomb,” Ferral’s expression darkened. “Enacting revenge. There’s always going to be that underlying resentment towards guardians and the Vanguard maintaining a presence out here in the Reef permanently. Many groups have staunchly opposed it and we get threats often because we apparently conflict with their interests. It’s not the first time someone’s tried to get us to pull out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to Ailsa. “You’ve had the best knowledge I’ve seen out of the fallen weaponry I’ve seen and if it’s linked with the Scorn, we could be looking at another threat. I’d like your help in finding these people and nailing them to the front door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah hold on.” Marcus interrupted. “That wasn’t the reason why we came to the Reef in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually it is.” Ferral corrected him. “Your orders were forwarded from Zavala that you are to locate and secure any weapons of mass destruction the Scorn are utilizing for their own ends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We came here to help Jadyn take down Uldren,” He argued back and cracked his knuckles against his palm. “And I want a crack at the fucker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe me, there’s nothing I’d want more than to hunt him down in whatever hole he’s hiding in after what happened to Cayde. But I can’t sanction anything out unless it’s to help finding Uldren’s followers. He may not even have sanctioned these people into carrying out these terrorist attacks...it could just be a convenience for him that we’re so distracted that it gives him time to do whatever he plans to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s all the more reason we should not be stopping in finding him. Cayde’s probably writhing in his grave knowing his killers waltzed right out under our noses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was silent for just a moment until Ailsa spoke up as well. “I have an idea. Perhaps it’s possible for us to do both in aiding Jadyn and finding these terrorists.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t like the sound of what. “But you said this was a hunter affair. All of us were going to go...with us as a team, we’d be able to exponentially cut down the amount of time searching and dealing with these Scorn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not on the Tangled Shore.” Ferral said. “You bring too many people, you’re going to have others come after you...no matter how good you are. There, you always have to keep your eyes peeled, wits about you and your gun loaded. Not a lot of people out there you can fully trust and even those that you can like Spider...I’d still tread carefully. He’s definitely...a character to deal with. Any hunt for Uldren and the Barons needs to be done with surgical precision, otherwise the Shore could erupt in a full-blown warzone. That’s part of the reason I also opposed Ikora’s idea of taking it by storm. There’s no way we’d be able to monopolize control without some illegitimacy going on. That’s why Spider is so well feared and respected there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it has to be you Marcus.” Ailsa said. “If anyone’s in a position to help Jadyn, you’re that person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter’s mouth dropped in dismay and he suddenly felt hot. “What?! Oh absolutely no! Come on! Anyone but me! I’m the last person she would want to help her out in this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you wanted a shot at Uldren too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do! But to have to do this alone with <em>her</em>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ferral raised a curious eyebrow. “You two are on the same fireteam, yet you don’t get along?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On the field yes, they're perfectly in sync.” Ailsa’s lips curled up in a smirk. “Off the field...they seem to try and antagonize one another as much as possible…even just by being close by.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” the awoken man snorted in amusement. “That reminds me a lot of when I first met my wife when she first became a guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d have to agree with my guardian’s assessment.” Banner added, phasing into the air above Ferral’s head. “Guardian Matasan is awoken and she would have a much better time integrating in Reefedge City. Other than here at the Dasa Base, seeing a human around is going to look awfully suspicious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus knew he was right...but at the same time he didn’t really want to be with Jadyn...</span>
  <em>
    <span>alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not after what Aunor had tasked him to do. He wasn’t sure if he would actually follow through despite the fact he outright refused to snitch on his teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what if the Praxic warlock was right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He said it himself. If she was indeed using her hero status to start her own agenda; he would be the first one to stop her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No...there’s no way she would ever do that. Jadyn hates getting embroiled in the political theatre.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not leaving me alone with her Mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I am son. Now you behave, because I know you lovebirds can get it done yourselves. And that's final. You don't want Jadyn to get herself in trouble right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ face flushed red and he stuck his hands out in exasperation. “Mom, she’s not...ugh. Whatever fine. I'lll do it. I still don’t like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Ferral’s face lit up in amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s why they don’t get along.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Visions of Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Salutations everyone, Brav here for another chapter! This one was fun to do because I don't think I've seen anyone do the quest mission for the Io part where you unlock the new subclass trees. So here's my take on it as Jadyn ventures to Io to learn more about the Traveler's message.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Spider bellowed with laughter, leaning back in his suspended throne as his belly jiggled when he rubbed it with his two lower arms. Jadyn stood in front of him, between his guards and thankful her glare was hidden by her helmet’s face-concealing visor. She had to tune out Solomon’s rather colorful words as the eliksni crime lord’s mocking laughter echoed down the halls of his safehouse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh...my. I don’t think I’ve had that good of a laugh in quite a while.” He had calmed down, sitting up, four eyes blinking. “But you’re clearly fresh off the boat and don’t know how things operate around here. Allow me to educate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider leaned down, stretching down much farther than Jadyn expected until his own face was inches away. She did her best not to recoil, staring back and remaining on her most neutral demeanor possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I. Need. Proof. Are you seriously thinking I’m going to take your word that you did the jobs you took as promised? No.” A wheeze. “I’ve been double crossed, backstabbed and duped enough to make sure rewards for jobs handed out by me are done on </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> terms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess things work far differently than in the City. I shouldn’t be surprised either way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But...today is your lucky day.” Spider chuckled darkly. “I’m in a rather generous mood. So I’ll have Shank here give you your reward as promised and I’ll declare us as friends. And I take friendship seriously. Very seriously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn tried not to make her glare evident.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she appeared to have failed as Spider leaned back in mock hurt by her apprehensive expression. “Oh come now dear. Don’t look at me like that. I wouldn’t ask you to do something that wasn’t in your own interest as well. Remember that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider came through with our payment.” Solomon said from inside her helmet. “I’ve got it in storage and reserves. Also an engram.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t say anything, but she had heard it and understood by giving a slight nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So. To business. I will supply you with both the opportunity to storm the Barons’ location...with which I am quite familiar, as it was, until recently mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a gesture of his arm, Shank stepped forward, holding out a tray containing a data chip. Jadyn took it, allowing Solomon to extract the data and upload it to her armor’s HUD within seconds. Thanks to the large map of the generic area, it narrowed the location down exponentially to parts of the underground lair right in the Shore’s central region. She could be there within a half hour.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Odd considering Spider’s “hiding out” so close to where the command of enemy turf is.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved to step out, mouth open to get Solomon to plot a course and point of action. He had already highlighted plenty of resistance along the way and she had made sure that her ghost stored extra reserve synths of all of her weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I would wait if I were you.” Spider cautioned. “You’re quite the trigger happy one with a lot of spunk. Fascinating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s face felt hot as she stopped and turned around to face him again. As irritated as she was about being humiliated at taking off before her partner in the deal was finished, she had to wait and listen. "Why?!" Came the demanding response.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>After all. It’s probably important.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Storming the Barons’ hideout now is an unwise decision.” Spider’s free hands played with the dead ghost shell in his arms, twisting the halves as if it were a habitual toy. “You’ll maybe catch one or two...and likely those low on the food chain. Word circulated around some informants that the Barons are going to be gathering for a meeting with the Prince himself, where he’ll be making some important frivolous announcement in his own cult of personality. I can’t really tell if he’s doing this to boost his own ego or to flaunt the fact he carried out an attack on the Dasa Base in Reefedge City.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait what?” Jadyn couldn’t hide her surprise. “Uldren did what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a stark contrast to her; Spider was unnerved. “Word must travel slowly where you’re at. Hmph. A group of Scorn carried out an attack on the Vanguard Base located here in the Reef. I heard it was quite the battle and now half the place is contaminated with that twisted dark ether. All within a matter of days, it goes from a peaceful place with plenty of room for growth to being fully exhausted of its resources as it tries to deal with one unprecedented crisis after another.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made some sort of scoffing growl. “Typical.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All the more reason to put him down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then we bide our time to wait for the best opportunity to strike.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor at this rate.” Solomon said, watching his guardian pace back and forth. They were once again in the closed confines of the <em>Lost Legend</em> when Jadyn began to grow restless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then Amanda can bill me for new flooring.” Jadyn replied sourly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what now? I can’t have you just treading around going stir crazy. What about that vision from the Traveler? Did it tell you anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Io. It was so strange Solomon. The Traveler manifested itself in an avatar...and it looked just like me. Same armor and all. It’s almost like it knows where I’m at...and what I’m doing.” She looked over at her Ghost. “Do you think it’s judging me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really can’t say. We’ve done everything to protect the Traveler and the City. This is new territory for us. It’s about getting revenge and closure for what happened to Cayde. Nothing about this is noble. You need to judge for yourself whether or not this is right or wrong and I think you know the answer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did. He didn’t have to scream it out loud and neither did she. Everything about this was hypocritical from the moment she swore she’d gleefully put a bullet in the back of Uldren’s head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should I follow the visions of the Traveler? If it knows what I’m doing and it’s morally wrong...then what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon had that same palpable silence she knew when he was deeply thinking about something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardian. Let me ask you something. What is it you hope to accomplish in this lawless place? It’s out of the way, hostile from the outlaws and incredibly chilly in the open. There’s nothing to do here. No fancy loot. No people to throw flowers in your path. None of that. Just people always looking over their shoulder, expecting a gun to be put to the back of their head with nowhere to go. Fugitives, people escaping justice. People who can do bad things and get away with it. This is one of the worst places to openly question your morals like that because I can assure you that the Scorn will take full advantage and gun you down without a second thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. But remember how Cayde lost his ghost?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t know what I want from this. Or what I have to gain other than closure. Killing all these fallen and Uldren might let Cayde rest a little easier...but it isn’t going to bring him back. Nothing will. He’s gone for good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She breathed steadily, wiping a wave of tears pooling at her face from both sadness and frustration. “When...when this is all over. I just want to bury this as far away as I possibly can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that is what you need to tell yourself when you do this. The Traveler chose us to be together to wield its light and defend humanity. It gave you the tools and you chose how to use them...just like it did to people like Dredgen Yor and the Warlords. They made their choices and had to live with their actions. Now you have to do the same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was familiar with the story of the fallen Titan Dredgen Yor. The legendary showdown between him and gunslinger Shin Malphur was passed down and well remembered by every hunter who was disciplined in the art of solar light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ship approaching.” Solomon’s voice turned serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hostile?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” He paused for a second. “It’s the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh come on.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She had thought Ailsa was coming along, but Solomon only mentioned Marcus’ ship. He didn’t have to say anything to let them both know that Ailsa wasn’t likely with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So it’s just him...and me. Alone. Perfect. This is going to be a long time away.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give him our position and highlight the spot by us.” At least she was giving him the courtesy. And she did feel just a slight bit relieved that someone familiar was nearby. Guardians were a rare sight in the Reef outside the Awoken territories and those that were usually didn’t want to be found or interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn slipped her helmet off and strode outside, noticing a set of flashing lights come closer as Marcus guided the delta-shaped ship down. He slowed the throttle and extended the landing gears to settle it gently on the rocky surface. As he cut the engine power, the roaring flame noise died down and its ghostly white glow faded away, surrounding them in the dim glow of the distant Sun behind the purple clouds. She also noticed abnormal scorch marks and twisted gouges in the side as if his ship had collided with something and buckled its heavy armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no. Is he not aware?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t believe this.” Jadyn crossed her arms, glaring as Marcus walked down the lowered gangway and jogged briskly to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked a bit concerned, but moved to stand opposite her. She visibly tensed and strode up to him, suddenly not wanting his presence at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re here to stop or just be a jerk about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A greeting was halfway out of his mouth when she had interrupted him “Actually I was just-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you can’t change my mind!” She went right up to his front, jabbing two fingers right in the joint of his chest armor. “I’m not leaving until I get Cayde’s killers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn,” His voice was much calmer...not the condescending, smug one that always seemed to anger her. “I was going to ask if you wanted some help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped, taken aback by him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Normally he would have said something snarky by now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then listen and don’t fucking say anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus paused, opening his mouth again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Fuck off jerk!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn.” He held his hands up slowly. “I’m listening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Her words flew out of her mouth before she even registered that he wasn’t being outright nasty again. “Well don’t bother. I’m not willing to listen to what you have to say. And don’t bullshit me with Storm’s own reasoning. He’s the least reasonable one out of everyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Geez. Is she really that pissed Ailsa didn’t come along. I guess Mom was really needed after all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Storm doesn’t know I’m here. Just you, me and Ailsa.” He said. “And you were right. I’d be damned if I let Cayde’s killers run around free while I sit and do nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally you see reason.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s about time you saw the big picture.” Jadyn replied sourly. “I was beginning to think I was the only sane one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other matters came up that needed Mom’s attention. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me or nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn almost voiced that going by herself sounded like a more attractive option...but for some reason, she felt her heart soar after hearing that from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure the resentment was there. Marcus was abrasive, smug and condescending off the field, but on it, he was among the most dependable and loyal teammates she had ever fought alongside, whether it was to take down Sekrion the Nexus Mind, to Oryx, to Aksis to Val Ca’uor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If only he was likable when we’re not fighting and shooting aliens. Then we might actually get along fine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stepped forward, holding his hands out. “I know I’m probably the last person you want with you here, but it took me a little bit to realize that losing Cayde was personal to me too. And I want to help you take down those responsible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not let him?” Solomon asked on their private channel. “You weren’t thinking of doing this all on your own right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if I say no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus seemed to think about it for a moment. “Then I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you succeed. Whatever equipment you want or need, I’ll make sure you get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn crossed her arms over her breasts. “Huh...for once it seems like you’re at my mercy and torment. How does that feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” She gave a humorless laugh. “So it’s only amusing until it’s done to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we’re guardians...not a bunch of petty teenagers. Why don’t we save our mutual dislike of one another for the enemy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn gave a huff. “Alright. Fine. But you make me miserable one time and I’ll kick you out myself if I have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah that’s right jerk. I can totally kick your ass if you rub me the wrong way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Fair enough. Now what’s the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There isn’t a plan right now. I’m waiting for a tip from a contact out here on a place where Uldren is supposedly meeting up with all the Scorn Barons with a plan to overtake the entire Tangled Shore. I’ll storm in and take everyone down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When would you do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whenever I get the tip.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we’re just gonna sit here and wait?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want to do that, be my guest.” She stalked back towards her ship. “I’m going to Io.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Io? What’s there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw that her guard had slipped just slightly and her head dipped down. “I...I had a vision from the Traveler while I slept. And it told me to go to Io for answers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Answers...to what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. It said just to go to Io. The same place where I found Ikora when she fled the Tower during the Red War.” She stopped. “I ignored its call. To run stuff for the Spider. Was that the wrong choice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Solomon said back, somehow making it known that he was listening in on their conversation. “But we only have one way to find out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn started up the ramp into her ship and turned around, seeing Marcus still there staring up at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh Traveler, what now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re going to Io anyway? Right after I just got here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” She replied testily. “I already ignored the Traveler once. I’m not doing it again. You can either come with me or sit here and wait. I shouldn’t be gone long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus paused. “I’ll come with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That way I can keep an eye on you while I’m at it. So you don’t get into any trouble. And I have to spend less time in this bloody place.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. Because that’s totally the reason.” Onyx sarcastically quipped.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sometimes your Ghost can be a huge pain in the ass. And again, this girl is crazy.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Io always seemed like a depressing place with darkened hills, a crystal clear sky and multiple fissures in the ground that hissed loudly of sulfuric gases escaping from subterranean pressurized chambers. The large blocky structures of vex architecture dotted the landscape, owing to the collective that had invaded and were in the process of terraforming the moon into another one of their lifeless machine worlds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was the last place the Traveler touched before it sensed the Darkness approaching and fled to sacrifice itself where it lay dormant over the City. Therefore it remained a sacred place to guardians and similar lightbearers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their destination was the Echo Mesa, a large plateau overlooking an ancient city situated in a valley deep below. Jadyn’s “friend” Asher Mir kept a portable lab close by where he worked religiously and snapped at any guardian who decided to cause any ruckus in his area. She seemed to be one of the few he inherently tolerated, going as far to call her his assistant after she ended up helping him on some of his experiments.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Asher doesn’t need to be bothered today. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She thought to herself as their ships dove down to the ground level, transmitting their guardians before shooting back up to orbit where they would await the pickup signal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was a few meters from her, holding his SMG idly and glancing around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well that was an uneventful three hour flight. What now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Jadyn answered. “Maybe Ikora’s on duty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to following your visions?” Marcus asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t experience anything while we came here. And Ikora is the best person I can relate to something like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swore the other hunter grumbled under his breath, but couldn’t tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he and Asher ought to spend some time together being so negative.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The thought actually caused her to stifle a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greetings Jadyn.” Warlock Vanguard Ikora Rey’s silky smooth voice seemed to always put her at ease. “I see you’ve made the trip to Io like you told me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” She looked around, seeing that the terrain was oddly silent and bare of enemy activity. Usually there were pockets of taken and vex milling about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand your visions have taken the form of trees.” Ikora said. “I see them too. It is the last place the Traveler touched before the Collapse. Io will react to your arrival. If you let it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh it hasn’t done anything yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then perhaps this isn’t where you are meant to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess it’s time to look around.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She gestured at Marcus. “Come on friend. Let’s take a stroll.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Several minutes later, a curious Jadyn and an irritated Marcus finished dispatching the last group of taken that were attacking them. Her companion was silent except when calling out positions and the usual Vanguard tactical lingo he often said while on the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As tumultuous of a relationship she had with the male hunter; they worked together as a fireteam incredibly well, covering one another’s backs and syncing their flashy combat moves that were typical of their class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If anything, it gave Marcus an excuse to remain quiet, compliant and the chance to scratch his urge to fight and “shoot something” Jadyn was quietly appreciating that he hadn’t said anything harsh yet, but almost longed for the usual banter of the team while on deployment. Cass, Etalan and Ailsa always had something to say that would incite a chuckle or laughter from the group. Even the jaded Storm seemed to enjoy it when the fighting was lax.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“I put us down in front of the crater where the Traveler touched Io.” Solomon said. The two of them finally reached the cliffs high above. Thanks to them, they had gotten rid of the local groups of taken, so there were no more of their ghastly screeches echoing around. All that remained was the hollow creaking noises that were similar to that she had heard over on the Tangled Shore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A rumble brought her out of her thoughts and she turned to see a growing dome of light that pulsed outward as a fine beam shot from the center going into the infinite sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus.” Jadyn whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his head to where she pointed. “I don’t see anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s coming closer. Does he not see that?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Within seconds, the wave of the light reached them and pushed them both back, knocking them to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Solomon asked, his tone in awe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ikora answered for them. “What you saw was for you and your eyes alone. The Traveler is speaking to you. Eyes up guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There’s that famous saying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Jadyn asked Marcus as they slowly picked themselves up to their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I’m good. Kind of wish I knew that hit us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was this big pulse of light from the middle of the ruins down there and it rippled right towards us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus looked over at it again and saw nothing unusual. “Maybe Ikora was right. It was for your eyes alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just give me a warning next time. I’ll have to do something to brace myself so I don’t get hurtled into a stone slab again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you hold onto?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another rock maybe. You if you’re close enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Very funny.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Then her intuition beckoned her somewhere else, down the dirt pathways away from the crater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing there.” Marcus protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn shook her head and insisted. “Trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they approached the road’s winding mouth, she could see a small tree in the center, surrounded by a pool of golden Light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trees.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus probably can’t see anything. Normally I’d say it serves him right for being a jerk all the time, but he’s probably onto something saying this is just for me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Still...it’s kind of nice having him along. And he’s actually being a half decent person.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Devotion inspires bravery. Bravery inspires sacrifice. Sacrifice...leads to death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just like in her dreams; the voice sounded as if it were an amalgamation of a man and woman speaking together as one. It came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Jadyn found it both astounding and unnerving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as the tree began to fade away, but saw something black begin growing in the white. Dark inky blobs spread over it like oil over water and covered the entire pool until it crept up the roots and trunk of the tree before the vision finally faded out, leaving the dusty road in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are different than the other trees we saw.” Solomon said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this like your weird storytime?” Onyx asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I so wish Marcus and I could see this. It’s almost romantic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both guardians resisted the urge to gag at the thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Romantic? How is this romantic at all? Especially with him?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She could almost imagine Ikora nodding in agreement to what they were seeing. “Your visions are constructs of the Traveler’s Light. And Light reacts to its surroundings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again, she felt the call urging her further down the path. As if she had a mind of her own, Marcus saw Jadyn turn and head into the mouth of a dark tunnel. He threw his arms up in exasperation at her inexplicable actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you goi- Guess I just follow you then.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The second tree she found was already infected with the blackness all over its roots. And she saw a group of taken thrall that seemed to be kneeling over with their heads down into the water as if animals at a hole for a drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taken were some of the creepiest and horrifying things she had fought and it often plagued her minds with nightmarish thoughts of how they hid in the darkness and attacked in ferocious swarms with bestial instincts and unnatural abilities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taken thrall were often evasive, skittering around from side to side as they approached in hordes to smother their victim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded to her at her side. At least he could see them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His SMG chattered alongside her hand cannon as they quickly cut down the shadowy figures, causing them to fall over and wink out of existence. She still found it strange that the dark remnants of these former foes were still susceptible to being “killed” by regular guns and bullets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Garden grows in both directions.” The Traveler’s hybrid voice said. “It grows into tomorrow and yesterday. The red flowers bloom forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Garden? Red flowers? What does that all mean?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The taken can see the trees?” Solomon asked, then suddenly stopped himself. “No...they sense the Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The taken are weeds guardian. Pull them up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they emerged from the cave, Jadyn saw the same flash from the crater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here it comes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two guardians braced themselves against a rock pillar, managing to hold on as it rumbled right over them, shaking the entire landscape like an earthquake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn let go and sprinted up a hill, still not completely sure why she was compelled to do so. As she reached its top, she saw a dark taken blight; a large black sphere encased inside a shadowy field. Two taken wizards seemed to be feeding it energy. Much more dangerous than their hive counterparts; taken wizards sprayed blasts of slow moving solar attacks that easily cut through a guardian’s shielding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She switched to her shotgun, sliding into the blight and feeling the uncomfortable sensation of the darkness encroaching on her armor. One shotgun killed the first wizard, but the second one backed away, summoning a group of shadow thrall to distract her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully Marcus was right behind her, tossing an arc grenade that stuck to the robed assailant and detonated, sending it into the abyss. A few more shots from her hand cannon got rid of the other cannon fodder it had sent her way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might have been kings and queens of the Deep! But you have toppled Oryx and you have not replaced him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn found that her regular rounds weren’t damaging the blight in the middle at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Marcus stood outside its edge, actually confirming that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>something he could see this time around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally these things disappear if you put enough rounds into it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s do it together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters stepped in, firing their weapons at the blight’s orb, but the dark orb appeared to just eat all their bullets without any visible damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try your light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stepped out, took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her golden gun swirled to life in her hand, solar light crackling along its fine barrel. She stepped in, firing all three shots right into the center. Almost instantly, it disintegrated in a wreath of fire that vanished into the thin air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess that works.” Even though her face was covered by her sealed helmet, she twirled the revolver and exhaled over the barrel before her supercharge expired.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now where am I going?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt the pull again, this time to the upper plateau above where she had initially started this “journey”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wordlessly she turned to follow the call, Marcus trailing behind. They were in the middle of sprinting towards a slope when another wave went off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time she had forgotten to warn Marcus since he couldn’t see it. But by the time it reached them, it was too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It slammed into both of them like an avalanche, tossing both guardians off the top and flung downwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had grabbed her in the middle of it, pulling her close to him as the pair tumbled down to the bottom and lay there dazed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s anger flared. “You didn’t need to do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he held his hands up. “I tried to keep us both from getting hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well I’m not made of glass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh so you want me to just ignore you the next time we get blown off our feet like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There’s the name calling again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon sighed. “Come on Jadyn, cut him a little bit of slack.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well I don’t need him protecting me like I’m someone vulnerable. I can take cuts and bruises fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you even thought he was just trying to be considerate? Just because I heal you doesn’t mean I enjoy it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So you’re taking his side?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look we all know how Marcus is around you, but he hasn’t done anything to warrant that. Are you sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>not being the jerk here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Way to rub it in.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. Let’s just forget about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus looked a little bit aggravated at her snappy attitude. “Let’s just try to get through this without nagging each other to death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They started up the slope again, coming to another blight where more taken wizards stood guard along with a group of psions. Unlike the thrall, the skinny cabal footsoldiers in their corrupted forms had the rather annoying ability to split off into multiple copies. And groups of them could become a small army quickly if left unchecked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Marcus’ turn to use his supercharge and he summoned his arcstrider staff, dodging straight into combat with his acrobatic moves and finesse swings that crackled the air, electrocuting the taken that tried to surround him into shimmering lightning. Both wizards were cut down and he thrust the staff into the blight’s middle to destroy it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn now saw all around them were even more trees, but unlike the others, these were already blackened as if scorched by fire. Their limbs sinewy and gnarled, reeking of a cancerous infection that plagued its trunk. The pool was the same oily murk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even the stars are brighter now. The whole cosmos is ablaze.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not sure I really understand how the Traveler communicates. One day it talks to me like it’s a normal person, the next like I have no clue what in the world it’s talking about. I just wish it would make its mind up.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the tremor again. “Marcus here it comes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two hunters crouched down as the entire ground under their feet shuddered and the wave of light passed. She now could feel it soak into her armor, almost as if providing a therapeutic, restorative feeling. Like her body received some sort of rejuvenated energy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. I feel like I could jump over a skyscraper.” Apparently Marcus was feeling the same thing as they both got back up on their feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn paid scant attention to him, noticing that the sickened trees had suddenly started to become cleansed by the pulse of light. All of the inky coating was being stripped away, leeching out from their bodies and receding back into the ground out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The trees, they’re healing.” Solomon said, his voice clearly in awe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. Is it the Traveler’s work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two mind explaining what the hell is going on?” Marcus asked, clearly not enjoying the fact he was being kept in the dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Traveler business. You know...confidential.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt its call again, coming from a nearby cave and she sprinted up towards it. Marcus closely following behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Traveler’s been alive and active for over a year. Why has it waited so long to speak to us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ikora had an answer. “The Traveler gave you a vision even before it was reborn. When Ghaul blocked its Light and stripped us all of it, it continued to show you a path forward where you could succeed again.” She paused to let her words sink in. “The road to recovery is long...as you saw in the past winter. But when we grow stronger, so does the Traveler.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn dreaded having to go through it, which had the perfect timing in being among the harshest in the City’s history. They were barely on their feet after retaking it from the Red Legion and she had just averted a dark crisis with Panoptes when a massive plague swept through the City.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All guardians were on overtime before long. The cold was fast approaching and many of the farms, warehouses and processing facilities that fed the City were damaged or completely destroyed. A sickness called War Lung spread throughout the non-guardian population, forcing the City warlocks to tend to clinics in treating endless batches of the ill. Etalan and Cass were among them, going on exhausting shifts that left them literally spent. Hunters ventured out into the wilds to go after game and scout out new zones to farm up crops. Ailsa went back to F-Rida to where her human and eliksni family did their part in increasing their output of vegetables. She, Jadyn and Marcus stuck together in getting as much fish and game as they could to help feed the ever-increasing demand the City had for food. One trip with a pair of exo hunters took her to the Andes Mountains in South America to find things to hunt. Eventually things had gotten rationed despite their efforts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that didn’t count the fact that the City was still vulnerable to attack. The Titans did whatever they could in guarding walls and taking the initiative on strikes. However, being so one dimensional took its own toll and the absence of hunters and warlocks began to show.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But we got through it. Somehow we did.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gunfire erupted from up ahead and Jadyn heard the familiar whooshing noise of a vex’s torch hammer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I ask this of you.” The Traveler’s trans-voice spoke again in her ears. “What can you do to herald a new age for the Light?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her, Marcus stood in complete shock as his fellow hunter vanished in a swirl of white particles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn?!” Glancing up ahead, he saw the shadowy veils of more taken manifesting…but the female hunter was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did she go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not picking her or Solomon up.” Onyx said. “It’s like they just disappeared off the face of Io.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could it be the Traveler hiding her from us?”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>She stopped, finding herself in the same cave as before, but now ablaze with bolts from both vex and taken weapons. The cybernetic race was among the most alien of the four main ones she had faced, with smooth contoured metal bodies, birdlike squawks and mannerisms and a corrosive milky white fluid stored in their stomachs like a dairy cow. A common term guardians called it was “vex milk”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally Marcus would’ve said something to her, but he was silent this go around. When she turned to look for him, he was absent too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did he go?” Solomon mused as well. “I swear he was right next to you two seconds ago. So was Onyx.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ducked from a torch hammer blast that arced towards her position from an overeager minotaur who spotted her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, let’s focus on surviving and then we can find your crush.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t have the heart to argue with him, instead readying Trust and returning fire. As the larger robotic construct came closer; she primed her swarm grenade and tossed it at its feet. The explosive immediately scattered into tiny seeking explosives that recombined and popped like bubbles, burning it up. By now she had alerted a number of the attacking vex, who turned away from the taken they were fighting to face the new threat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trust’s dragonfly rounds did a lot of help here, with a precision kill to a vex’s radiolarian cavity causing it to combust into a fiery explosion that burned up the others close by. As soon as she got rid of all of them, the taken were next, suffering a similar fate between that and her shotgun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were defeated, she wound up on the path twisting and going up a slope as the walls narrowed to the point where people would have to walk single file.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She finally emerged at a larger expanse, where a stream of luminous water surrounded another tree...identical in shape to the ones she had encountered before, but this one was larger in size.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a taken blight over it, causing flecks of the black tar substance to coat it slowly by slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Almost like it’s being poisoned.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No taken were in sight, but something obligated her to pump her shotgun and fire several rounds into the blight, causing it to overload and vanish into nothingness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Light lives in all places. In all things. You can block it. Even try to trap it. But the Light will find its way. And the Traveler WILL protect itself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the blight was gone, she saw the taken blackness disappear, evaporating from the tree as if it was being purified of the tainted substance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the Traveler’s hybrid voice echoing into nothing and the absence of taken, the only sound left was the trickling of water underneath her boots and her ragged breathing. She had barely recognized that she was incredibly winded from the nonstop combat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The tree.” Solomon whispered. “Can we get closer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn obeyed, finding herself similarly drawn as she felt another rumble. She crouched low again as to not get thrown off balance, but the tremors never came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tree’s body began to glow brightly before it became translucent and faded into swirling dust that was carried away on a nonexistent wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are ready.” The Traveler said to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations guardian.” Ikora said just a moment later, even though there was no way she could’ve heard it speak. “When we channel the Light. We connect to something much bigger than any one of us. Even departed sparks like Cayde’s, still leave a trace in the luminous web we call the Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn, look at where the tree was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Down at its base, she could see something small, almond shaped that glowed a radiant gold. The same compulsiveness urged her to pick it up and she examined it in her hands, turning it over as if she could make something out from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A seed of light.” Solomon whispered. “It’s a blessing...straight from the Traveler.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It said I am ready. What does that mean?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could contemplate it anymore, the seed vanished as her arm absorbed its energy and she saw her arm begin to glow as the raw power flooded her veins. Jadyn couldn’t help a scream as she fell to her knees, the pain suddenly replaced by the same relief feeling when her light was fully capped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did it do to me?!” She demanded to Solomon, not even sure if he had a suitable answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It empowered you. There are more ways in using solar light as a hunter than just the golden gun.” He whispered. “Try it. Try the knives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn closed her eyes, suddenly hearing the roaring noise of taken wisps beginning to form. She was under attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More shimmering thrall screeched and moaned as they zigzagged while advancing on her position. She gripped Trust a little tighter, but there were far too many to openly take out, even with the aid of the dragonfly rounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grunt, she vaulted herself into the air, spinning around as dozens of flaming quill knives in each of her hands were flung towards the cluster of targets. She landed on her hands and knees, strangely exerted and energized for it yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. That’s amazing!” Her ghost exclaimed. “It’s like you’ve been able to do that for years!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I did. Maybe I had this potential in me this whole time, but never discovered it until the Traveler decided it was time it came naturally.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so proud of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks little light.” She heard the gurgle of more taken thrall as they crawled from the shadowy portals from somewhere unseen. They would be upon her before long. “Now let’s do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she did. The shadowy twisted entities tried their best to bring her down, but she again had jumped into the air, spinning around to launch a barrage of throwing knives infused with fiery solar light. They screeched in agony as it burned them away, filling the cave with haze and a strong smoky scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the horde thinned out and she was face to face with a taken ogre. The monstrosity  snarled and shot out beams of darkness from its large circular forehead that pushed with enough force to actually cause her to stagger back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll meet the same as the rest of your friends!” Jadyn snarled. She jumped into the air, ignorant as her armor burned from the ogre’s eye beam and threw the next volley. They arced through the air, raining down on the large shadow mongrel with unrelenting fury. The ogre roared as it burned through its skin, disintegrating it into ashes. She stopped, waiting as more flaming knives materialized in her hands, poised cobras ready to lash out at any other foe that dared to challenge her. All that remained was silence. The water in the streams had returned to normal, devoid of the taken blights or influence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow.” She breathed, turning her palms over and seeing the same fire of solar light flickering through her limbs. Each individual knife was perfectly balanced and shaped to be thrown like stars or darts to impale, incinerate or even immolate her enemies. “This new power...it feels so familiar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is.” Solomon said. “You’ve had this within you the whole time. All you needed was a little guidance from the Traveler to finally harness it for yourself. And now you enjoy the reward of your hard work. I’m so proud of you. Guardian Amaris.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Solomon. Thank you for being my ghost.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Strangely, Jadyn’s strat-comm came back online as soon as she emerged from the mouth of the cave again. Marcus was waiting for her, casually shooting distant targets of taken and vex that milled about with a sniper from a perch on a rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t in a particularly pleased mood when she returned, but did appear thankful that his rather bored watch came to an end. He stowed his sniper rifle away and gave her a mock salute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well? How was your vacation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d hardly call it a vacation,” Jadyn put her hands on her hips. “The Traveler wanted to speak to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Lucky you.” He sounded as if it bothered him. She opted not to take the bait, despite them both breaking their agreement to not antagonize one another. It hadn’t lasted six hours with just the two of them. “So we done here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stared at her and she had to wonder if he was trying to be his normal self or if he was actually staring at her figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back to the Shore?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” She stopped. “Oh and by the way. I can do this now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn vaulted into the air, doing a front flip and throwing her arms out to unleash the barrage of solar knives. They hailed down on the rocks harmlessly, exploding in bright orange pops to scorch the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to admit that it was rather amusing to see him get caught off guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah that’s right jerk. And I can’t wait to see what havoc this does in Crucible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That looks extremely angry and terrifying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You bet it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well uh...congratulations. I take it I can’t ask if I can do something similar?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe one day. When you stop being a jerk.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m trying here.” He paused. “Well I should just give it to you already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Give what?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx appeared at his side and transmatted in a pair of gray cuffs that had snapping hardpoints on the edges. The thicker section had a ramped coil and she saw a barbed projectile stored tightly against the nozzle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My grapple wires. I’ve been working on others besides my own as something other hunters might want.” He sheepishly handed them over to her. “I made them for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying here.” The hunter repeated. “If we’re in this together, we might as well be best prepared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I,” Jadyn paused, feeling that same odd fluttering feeling in her stomach. “Thanks Marcus. Really. Thank you.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.<br/>Brav</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Scorned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here we go on a run-through of the Scorned mission! I thought this was a great part of the Forsaken story in introducing the Baron antagonists one by one. Really did set in how messed up the Scorn are in terms of creepiness and how bloodthirsty they are as a group.</p><p>Heads up of a warning for some profanity language up ahead. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jadyn got the call from Spider just hours after they found their same nook where they had set their ships down. In their absence, it seemed that a group of Scorn had occupied it to shelter themselves from the cold winds. As much as Marcus wanted to light them up with his shipboard weapons, she managed to convince him to hold off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only watched as she transmatted herself out, going into another blade barrage attack that impaled and incinerated every single one of the corrupted fallen into burned ashes. By the time he and Solomon settled their ships down, she was laughing with joy over her newfound power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Literally laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Again...this girl is crazy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With the visitors out of the way, they set up their lodging and established a sentry overwatch where Onyx could remotely access its onboard weapons to attack any intruder that entered the area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guardians ate a quick meal from ration packs and spent time both checking and cleaning their gear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider’s call was brief, promising more intel once they arrived at the location he marked on her HUD. Thanks to Razoredge having a shared strat-comm link, she linked Marcus as well. They both retrieved their sparrows and set off for the Thieves Landing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So who is this contact of yours?” Marcus asked as they rode along the tunnels, passing by faded buildings in a blur.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He calls himself the Spider.” Jadyn took a deep breath. “And he’s basically a fallen crime lord.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A Kell is your contact?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not a Kell. Well...I don’t think. He doesn’t like being regarded as one and he doesn't behave all haughty like one either. Anyway, Spider controlled a lot of this territory before the Scorn started encroaching on him. I made a mutual agreement with him. He gives me intelligence on Uldren and the Baron leaders of the Scorn and I assist his men in clearing them out and regaining his territory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was silent for a second. “I’m not sure I approve of all that, but it’s probably more than what I would’ve accomplished.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, no shit. You’d probably be complaining about how things aren’t fair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still, are you comfortable with tying yourself to someone like this? This Spider character seems like the kind of guy who keeps stringing you along for all you’re worth. I mean...you’re a guardian, an immortal super-powerful warrior. Imagine how people would think having a personal guardian as an attack dog.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon chipped in. “Yeah...we kind of made that agreement pretty quickly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t remind me.” Jadyn snapped, a little hot over how he nitpicked her choice yet again. “And this was our best shot at getting Uldren. Even Petra agrees.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t mean I do.” Marcus glowered. “But you seem to know what you’re doing. So I’ll follow your lead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Petra is out for blood.” Solomon noted. “But we’re here for justice. Aren’t we? Anyway, let’s hope Spider’s tip about Uldren and the Barons’ location is solid. No point making a deal with the devil if the devil doesn’t come through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not exactly comforting. But whatever.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They reached Spider’s marker just a few minutes later, along the clusters of buildings that stretched over the expanse of space below between two large asteroids not five minutes from his lair. Jadyn dismounted her ride and informed him that they had reached the rally point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This territory was once mine.” He wheezed. “In my relocation...I was forced to leave some valuables behind. A proposition friend. Secure those caches and I’ll make it worth your while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced on her HUD, seeing a half dozen marked spots where he had located caches of...things. It wasn’t her place to question what they were, she was merely here to take them back to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sizes of the caches are small enough and within range where I can store them and re-transmat them to Spider’s safehouse.” Solomon said. “All you need to do is point them out once we’re up close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them set out, finally spotting the inconspicuous crate along the railing of a mezzanine. Several regular fallen, all bearing the House of Dusk purple and white walked about up there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stealth wasn’t much of an option despite them being adept at it. Fallen had superior senses of sight and smell to humans and would spot them coming in an instant. One vandal spotted them and immediately sighted them in their wire rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus split up, him taking the front as she dropped back to find a spot to flank. As his submachine gun chattered on the other end, she raised Trust, carefully aiming and firing. Each round she sent through the head of an eliksni combusted into a heated explosion that scorched the immediate area. Within just a few seconds, the pair had secured the area. She let out Solomon, who scanned the cache while Marcus kept a vigilant eye out for any other threats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cache on its way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah marvelous.” Spider said. “The caches are all located close to where the Barons are said to be meeting up. If you move fast enough, you’ll be able to catch all of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s not waste any more time.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus had secured two more caches around the Thieves Landing area when they had company.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Scorn had dug deep into the area, occupying the surrounding structures and likely driving the original residents out. Upon their return; Petra provided them with a breakdown of the Scorn’s gang structure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stalkers were the most basic of the Scorn infantry, similar to dregs. They were fairly easy to deal with on their own, but made up their own strength in numbers. While they often fought at range with crudely made repeater pistols, they often brandished clubs, maces and blades to openly rush a victim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raiders were the equivalent of the vandal, slightly larger and bulkier, wielding fully automatic guns that shot spinning void blades that somehow curved in flight to track their target. They also had a charging crossbow in a tri-bolt that stung worse than the regular fallen wire rifles. And they used a trail of dark ether to vanish from sight and reposition elsewhere, making them a very dangerous foe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Screebs were the Scorn’s kamikaze units, skittering along the ground like insects before they lunged forward to detonate themselves in a blast of ether like cursed hive thrall. What Marcus found unsettling about them was their silence. At least the hive’s own suicide bomber type made a loud hissing noise to alert guardians of their nearby presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wraiths, lurkers and ravagers made up the faction’s bulk melee force. They charged in with flame torches, bulletproof shields and censers to get in their foe’s face and deal as much damage as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lastly there were the chieftains and abominations. The latter had a rather disturbing resemblance to hive ogres as towering monstrosities that steadily advanced forward while blasting them with jagged lightning. They were several times the size of a guardian and even they were hesitant to appear out in the open to try and take it down with their shotguns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chieftains were the leadership of the Scorn. Still subservient to the Barons, they were always seen leading the local forces around to pillage, raid or attack any non-Scorn in the area. Petra also told them that they utilized synaptic amplifiers in the form of a thin metal cage that had a variety of effects from shielding, scorching the area or tethering their victim to helplessly pin them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From everything Jadyn and Marcus gleamed from the information; they both agreed that the Scorn all shared the violent attitude that was among the most aggressive of any foe they had faced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A swirl of ether at the far end of a balcony revealed a tall lean Scorn. Jadyn recognized them immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s one of the Barons.” She told Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both guardians fired and she staggered as the rounds pelted her skin. The Baron carried a long gun that fired arcing goopy streams of fire that looked almost like lava. Marcus hissed out loud when a stream of it splattered against his armor. Onyx was quick to heal his wounds and he resumed fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron crouched low on the ground and both hunters saw her back had a large missile battery that erupted with fire. Rockets whistled through the air, some of them flying wildly around while others made a beeline for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn slid into cover behind a building, but that left her open for more stalkers and raiders to attack her. Looking back over, she saw that Marcus would have to fight the Baron on his own. He tossed an arc grenade, spun around and used his grapple wire to sling himself up and out of another lava blast while attaining a vantage point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Scorn came at her for a melee, so she kept Trust in one hand to shoot and her knife in the other to stab and slash. Occasionally she got face to face with the taller raider class thugs to deliver her signature swinging hook kick that connected with their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My supercharge is full. Time to give this Baron a face full of flaming knives.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A wraith swung at her with its twin torches, giving her the perfect time to roll out underneath with a perfect line of sight. The Baron was still focused on Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However just before she could gain some altitude, the large fallen disappeared into dark ether, leaving another group of Scorn for them to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solar Light hummed through her limbs as she jumped up, spinning around to throw a hailstorm of daggers that embedded themselves in her victims, all burning away into cinders upon contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have to know we’re coming.” Solomon said, stating the obvious. “No time to lose. We need to move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus hurried down the tunnel’s entrance, leading to the bottom of the rock where a winding path went into another section. Below them was the wide open void of empty space. The hunters made sure to avoid that, taking the shortcut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they descended further, the resistance got tougher. More Scorn were waiting for them and filled the air with volleys of void energy rounds. Jadyn and Marcus stuck to cover, taking a brief note to see Spider’s cache located at the back along with a group of other nameless crates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she mopped up the majority of the smaller Scorn; Marcus went after the chieftain at the back. The larger fallen had deployed another metal cage that had a void mod, casting a bulletproof shield to its surrounding henchmen. While he held its attention, Jadyn centered Trust on the totem, firing two rounds that overloaded its power source and caused it to fall apart, completely useless. Before the chieftain could summon another, Marcus used his grapple wire to snag and reel the surprised victim in. With his free hand, he stuck his knife out, gutting the creature through the gap in the armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon was out, scanning the cache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider. Another cache is on its way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eliksni kingpin rumbled happily. “Excellent. Allow me to return the favor in the form of my belligerent associates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two of the hedgehog uniformed fallen phased in. Jadyn recognized one as Arrha, with his signature wire rifle. Marcus however, had to keep himself from training his sights on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More fallen?” He asked her on the private channel. “Are these the good ones or bad ones?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re asking...they won’t shoot us on sight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Comforting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arrha had keyed something on the pad next to the locked door after the status winked green and it slid open. His partner entered first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right as a void bullet had bored straight through the armored helmet, dropping him without a sound and leaving a neat trail of smoke and steam whistling through the neat hole that was made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arrha dove for cover and Marcus gave suppressing fire to the sniper he couldn’t see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on.” An unfamiliar, but infuriating voice pierced the air. “Take out your Ghost. I could use the target practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look out!” Solomon needlessly said. On the other channel, he could hear Onyx saying something along the lines of being half scared, half pissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Split up!” Marcus shouted. “He can’t target us all at the same time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh how wrong you are fleshwalker.” They could now see the sniper standing on top of a metal catwalk above them. <em>Another Baron. </em>Jadyn could feel his gaze leering down at them through the wicked looking crossbow rifle he held. “My marksmanship is uncontested and all challengers have failed. You and your Ghost are merely target practice for me. And every shot I take adds another soldier to the Scorn army!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Solomon seethed, Jadyn feeling his anger even though she couldn’t see him. “He’s so dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laid down covering fire, causing the sniper to flinch when he aimed straight at her. Arrha added his own fire, which ended up keeping him distracted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is until Marcus lunged from behind. The fallen sensed him approaching, ducking down to avoid his outstretched kick while spinning around out of their line of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn reached up with her left arm, firing her own grapple wire. The device was simplistic in design and function. It used pressurized air to shoot out a barbed hook that adhered to most surfaces with enough force to pull the user or the object, whichever was desired. With the augmentation of the Light, she found that it was incredibly easy to use in tandem with jumps, snagging distant objects like synths or even foes to throw off the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reeled herself up, Trust in hand to fire at the Baron alongside Marcus. He sensed he was outnumbered and outgunned, vanishing in the dark ether dash further into the tunnels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuckin’ coward.” Marcus spat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let him distract you.” Onyx said, trying to calm him down. “We need to focus on the Barons' lair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without another word, the two hunters continued on.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>After retrieving the next couple of caches, the trio were joined by Spider’s other main lieutenant; Avrok. Unlike Arrha, he was far more aggressive and carried the typical molden welder over his shoulder. It fired arcing blasts of explosive red hot metal that sent deadly blasts of shrapnel everywhere. Both guardians had fought against fallen using it, but never </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span> one on their side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Avrok’s belligerent attitude had made it effective in blowing apart a majority of the smaller stalkers and sent the raiders running for cover, flushing them out to be killed by the guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the next area, the Scorn had brought in a walker. Automated six legged battle tanks that were common siege machines and heavy armor. Normally they possessed a powerful cannon on their back, but these ones were outfitted with a missile battery like the Baron they had encountered earlier. They also featured point defensive launchers that shot out sprays of finger-length spikes if anyone got too close and a chin-mounted flamethrower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Jadyn and Marcus were familiar with fighting them, but had to contend with sticking in cover as the Scorn had a number of foot soldiers that were keeping them pinned. They had to move too, as the missile battery would lock on and bombard their position if they stayed too long. Both Arrha and Avrok had slaughtered several of the other Scorn, but most of the enemy’s attention was focused on the guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunters focused their fire on the middle right leg. While powerful, fallen walkers weren’t without their weaknesses. Sustained rounds could eventually buckle the armor underneath and stun the machine, causing the engine housing to slide out and expose its core. That was where it was most vulnerable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rounds eventually broke through, shearing off the plating. Making a groaning noise, it slumped over, the housing popping free and the core shaking as the machine attempted to reboot itself, they’d only have a short amount of time to disable it permanently before it closed back up, making them have to break another leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However this time, as it went into that state, a large arc dome appeared around it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn gasped, Scorn based walkers were far different and these ones had been modified from earlier fallen models to protect itself if the attackers were shooting at it from a distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trying something, she wired herself to the side and reeled up, passing through the shield effortlessly...likely something that defended it from something at a higher velocity like bullets and explosives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She latched onto the side, using her legs to give herself a look down into the engine, while holding her shotgun. As she shot at it, Marcus latched on himself next to her, adding his own firepower. The Scorn on the outside were enraged, firing at the guardians tearing apart their walker, but this time the protective shield worked against them from the outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would only be a matter of time before the housing closed up, so Jadyn primed a tripwire grenade, sticking it inside as the edge closed on her fingers, sending a pain shooting through her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She did manage to get off by detaching the wire, although several bones in her left hand were clearly broken. Unseen, Solomon did his work in a healing pulse to reconnect the tissues and carpals back together. The process took just a few seconds with the pain fading to nothing. She flexed her hand out and made a fist, satisfied that it was completely normal again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her grenade detonated, causing the walker to warble as the thick armor kept the explosion from escaping. She knew that inside, the blast had obliterated basically every mechanism and part to where it would ever be useful again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only way in is deeper.” Solomon said, referring to the large open gate where the walker had come from. “Shall we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For a bunch of fallen serving as Uldren’s own personal army.” Marcus breathed as he jogged up to her. “These things can’t fight worth a damn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regret your decision?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “I need to kill something ugly. What about you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regret your decision?” The question was repeated for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regret what?” His tone made it clear that she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your agreement? You can’t possibly think that Spider is going to let you walk away once this is all over. That’s not how agreements are made.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay mister smart guy.” She put her hands on her hips, partially aware that Arrha and Avrok had secured the additional caches and were watching them interact. “What are you going at?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus made a mirthless chuckle. “Me? I’m not the one who signed a contract and prostituted my ass to a fallen...of all people. I haven’t even met the guy and I’ve already figured him out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Prostituted? Wow...way to make things personal.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is there anything else of yours open for business too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s anger flared through her and before she knew what she was doing, she had flicked her wrist, sending a trio of knives in his direction. Marcus had incredibly fast reflexes, dodging the first one. The second embedded itself in his shoulder guard and he flinched, reeling from the burning sensation it shot through his body. And the third blade went into his loin, just above his waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn blinked, still in a state of shock at what she had done. Sure, Marcus was an ass at times, but she had never, ever purposely attacked one of her teammates...even him before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He staggered back cursing as his fingers crackled with arc energy as if he was going to return the favor. She held her hand behind her head, anger still burning like the blades when Onyx and Solomon phased in front of their guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you two cut this out?!” Solomon’s own voice was furious. “What happened to saving the anger for the enemy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus flicked his fingers, causing the arc energy surrounding him to dissipate. He pulled his submachine gun from his back and motioned to the tunnel. Onyx was already healing his wounds when he pulled the synth blades out with a grunt. “Fine. Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a fucking jerk Marcus.” She growled, drawing her weapon and imagining a Crucible scenario where his head was in the sightlines of Trust. “Next time, I’m throwing the knives a little lower under the belt.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They walked in silence, yet a truce seemed to settle in between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No doubt Onyx is giving him an earful.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I say about not letting him get to you?” Solomon sounded disappointed. “You know he likes to twist the knife in like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt the slight bit of tears sting her eyes. “One moment, he’s actually a half decent person, the next he’s a jerk I can’t stand. Ugh...why do boys have to be so complicated?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean? You get along with every other male teammate fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That is true. Storm, Cass and Etalan. What does it take to impress Marcus? And why do I care?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe not snap at him like that. You know he’s only being so because he’s rattling your cage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but I can’t help it. He says stuff that’s so infuriating!” Jadyn wanted to throw something, but they were too busy navigating another winding tunnel, this one with pools of some yellowish-brown sludge that was a noxious, foul-smelling fluid that wanted to make her gag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet you keep falling for them. It’s amazed me that you two almost never have actually gone on friendly terms outside the battlefield. In fact, you two are probably the first to have a good relationship in a fight alongside one another, but then you </span>
  <em>
    <span>fight </span>
  </em>
  <span>one another off it.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Marcus that was really uncalled for.” Onyx said in their private channel. “And you know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck no. She’s in way over her head and doesn’t even realize it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got a mission to focus on here. Can we talk about this later?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk about what?” His ghost had that same attitude of the fact she wasn’t going to drop the subject. “She’s right. You’ve been nothing but a jerk to her ever since you joined up at the Tangled Shore. Even more so than normal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew that she hated the fact that he bullied and picked on her, but he couldn’t help the fact she kept making bone-headed decisions before realizing the consequences later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna say it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you’re not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I am.” Onyx said in her smugly voice. “And feel free to tell me I’m right. Because I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a damn horrible ghost. Why in the Traveler did I have to be resurrected by you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too heartspark.” She chirped. “Now...you’re such a jerk to Jadyn...because you admire the hell out of her...but you can’t stand the fact that she doesn’t admire you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She admires me.” Marcus protested, following the guardian in question. “She’s wanted a few weapons done for cosmetics and stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it. So do hundreds of other guardians you do mod work and shaderjobs for. What makes her different?”</span>
</p><p>He didn't have an answer.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Any further bickering was squashed as they approached the next area, another wide chamber that was darker in color with a metal gate closed, cutting them off from the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d deal with that later. Right now, they still had one final cache which happened to be located close to the far side of the chamber. From there, they’d secure it and then storm the lair of the hideout just a few stories above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Identified another Spider cache.” Solomon said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was halfway in scanning it with Solomon when Marcus stopped her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell’s your problem?” She glared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It didn’t occur to you that we weren’t attacked at all since we got here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Actually he’s right. Not one Scorn. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Realization shot through her just as Solomon had just finished scanning the box. “Solomon wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late, the cache vanished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving another one of those metal totems in its place. And to their horror, it was the tethering one.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jadyn was grabbed by an invisible hand and yanked towards the device. Next to her, the same thing happened to Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them considered shooting the totem, but they heard the chittering noises of screebs as the blue-blistered crawlers emerged from the pit like spiders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn opened fire with Trust, catching a screeb with several bullets until it exploded with a loud bang and splash of corrupted ether. Several others close by were critically hit by the blast, detonating themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was distracted by a sinister laugh, turning around to face another Baron, one that was rather small, but had a dark cloak. He could see a set of glowing eyes and teeth in a similarly sinister grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron hit something on her hand and immediately, the totem sent a discharge of arc energy across the linked cords. They couldn’t help but scream as it coursed through their bodies. Although Marcus’ Light was attuned to arc, it still felt painful. He managed to wrench his own custom hand cannon around to shoot several rounds that ripped the device apart into shrapnel. They fell back to the ground, picking themselves up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw the screebs moving to flank and pushed Marcus away just as some of them threw themselves at the pair, detonating a blast powerful enough to throw them against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was quicker to recover, pointing his weapon at where the Baron was at, but the fallen seemed crafty enough to time a wise retreat.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Getting really tired at these Barons running away again and again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn looked back to now see some of the headless ravagers joining the party. She was still shaken by their eerie gurgling noises they made as well as uncanny ability to find and mercilessly slam their flaming censers onto unlucky victims, soaking them in sticky liquid fire that burned away armor, flesh and shields on contact. She carefully aimed her weapon, firing off methodical shots that pierced the fragile glass containing the napalm jelly, causing it to splash out and burn the others running beside it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close the gate!” Marcus said. He was already after the Baron, even when they had used a dark ether smoke to dash out of danger. Jadyn didn’t think twice, bounding after him while firing to cover their retreat. She hit several of the ravagers, but more were already phasing in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as she passed underneath, Marcus hit a switch on a panel next to the door. Metal grates flew down at an alarming rate, just as a few of the headless Scorn passed underneath. They met a rather unlucky fate, getting skewed by the heavy metal rods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other side, the blocked off Scorn were snarling and lashing their limbs angrily at them through the walls as if they could touch the hunters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Marcus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn furrowed her brow at his insensitive comment from earlier. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gee, I guess we’re gonna pretend you didn’t say what you said earlier.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Let’s go.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>In the next area, they encountered what seemed to be another member of the Scorn leadership.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus had to navigate through another tricky area with revolving spinning objects that seemed to work only half the time. If either of them were caught in the middle, it would send them into an uncontrolled flight into the blackness of space below. The lurker class Scorn stood in the middle, using their spread shooting shotgun pistols to try and take them by surprise while ducking behind their surprisingly resilient shields. Jadyn managed to bait one of them into lunging for her, snatching away its shield and then tossing it at the creature’s legs to knock it overboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However as they reached the long bridge to cross over; more dark ether had coalesced into a towering Scorn that held a massive flail very much like the headless ravagers that attacked in swarms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron swung the flail, well out of their range and Jadyn thought nothing of it. The heavy metal ball slammed on the ground, causing a huge column of flame to erupt straight out of the floor. She barely processed it when Marcus had grabbed her shoulders, yanking her out of harm’s way. The subsequent irritation was squished when the Baron advanced on the two hunters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They focused their fire, aiming for center mass. But the Baron was either hyped on ether or shrugged off the rounds as they pelted against his thick grungy skin. Jadyn saw that rusted chains were wrapped around his body and it looked like razor wire digging into his limbs to draw blood. There was more scar tissue on him than any other fallen she had ever seen before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ducked as the Baron swung the flail outward, narrowly getting the ball smashed into her side before flinging knives into his side. On the other end, Marcus used his grapple wire to snag a crate and swing it back to use as a blunt object.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron snarled, seeing the large crate coming and swung the flail again, causing it to shatter into scrap. However before either hunter could resume their attack, he roared loudly and vanished in a flash of dark ether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You fight.” Jadyn heard the wheezing, raspy voice of the largest Baron from earlier. “You kill. It pleases me. Pleases King Uldren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the hell’s that?” Marcus trained his weapon around, trying to find the source. She knew that he wouldn’t be able to find him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Fanatic.” She answered. “The leader of the Scorn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then he’ll lead us to Uldren. Let’s go put him down.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“You think you can defeat my Scorn, my Barons and my FATHER all at ONCE? You think you will succeed where Cayde-6 FAILED?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus couldn’t see Jadyn’s expression as they climbed a set of stairs that circled the outside of the chamber, but he could tell that the Fanatic’s ghostly, menacing words were having the perfect desired effect of getting under her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna kill them all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy there hot stuff.” He used her involuntary nickname again. “Let’s burn this guy to the ground with a level head. No need to rush in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah I know.” She snapped at him, more annoyed with herself than anything. “The sooner we bury all them, the better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not need Barons to slaughter you!” The Fanatic said, somehow able to put his own lines through their conversation. “My Scorn will be enough to end you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I really wish you’d just shut up.” Marcus said, pretending that the voice could hear him. “You’re not even that great at monologuing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunters got a seething growl from the other end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So apparently he could hear them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stared at Marcus as they ran down the next hall. He had already told her about the Fanatic getting into her head...and then minutes later said a retort that ended up reversing...and getting into</span>
  <em>
    <span> his </span>
  </em>
  <span>head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then again, he has a knack for that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic stood, awaiting them in a middle of a glowing circle with indistinguishable runes and swirls of dark ether. Kneeling at his side was another tall chieftain that looked up at their approach. Jadyn and Marcus both gasped as the dark ether moved, entering the smaller Scorn and visibly glowing as it flowed through its arms and veins like a poison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn leveled Trust at the Fanatic’s head, who seemed rather disinterested in her threatening gesture. “Tell me right now where Uldren is! You said it yourself that you doubted I could defeat all your Barons, Scorn bitch-ass wimps and your father all at once! Care to try and prove your theory?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic let out a wheezing laugh before muttering a couple of incantations. The smaller chieftain stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A test. To your might.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However before he could make his grand escape; he was buffeted by an explosion and knocked over. The chieftain screeched loudly, pulling out a rifle and launching a volley of arc explosives their way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters scattered, with Marcus going straight for the bigger prey he stunned with a grenade and Jadyn occupied with the lower class chieftain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She emptied Trust into the thick armor of her foe’s head, doing little except partially stagger it backwards. The creature snarled loudly, still moving slow and hoping that its constant bombardment of Scorn mines would be enough to kill her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon, got the sword ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect. We’ll come in like a whirlwind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Partially aware of Marcus’ dancing duel as he took shots at the Fanatic, she tapped into her Light’s supercharge attack. A salvo of flaming knives materialized in her palms and she vaulted into the air, flinging them outward. Her aim wasn’t perfect...having only learned the technique days ago, but most had found their mark and the chieftain reeled and screeched. Her blades were firmly embedded in the armor, but surprisingly it looked relatively unfazed despite thin wisps of gray smoke curling from its backside.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>These things are supposed to be made of dead rotting flesh. How is that supposed to be like shooting a damn tree?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>However she did see part of its chestplate was ripped open, revealing a large leakage of dark ether. The chieftain was looking down at it, a little bit stunned that she managed to accomplish that feat. Before it could retaliate, Jadyn swiftly drew Trust, pulling the trigger as fast as she could get a beat on the weak point. The mutant fallen gurgled loudly as it staggered backwards and then forwards again before exhaustion took over and it slumped to the floor in a tangled mess of blistered skin and rusted metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I didn’t even need my sword.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But Marcus was still fighting the Fanatic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the large fallen slam his tall lightning staff into the ground, sending large deadly bolts of arc energy out. Marcus had evaded it just in time when it blanketed an entire area. The Fanatic flipped it back into two of his four hands, keeping it at waist level and firing smaller bursts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had done the smart thing, skating close to tight coverage to avoid his attacks as more stalkers phased out from the back door to aid their leader. With him completely taken his attention off her, she drew her sword; the Steel Sybil and darted in close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic staggered as she slashed at the lower section of his legs, whirling around with his arms outstretched. She quickly ducked to avoid them like she did with his fellow Baron before driving the heavy weapon’s blade into his thigh with a yell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To her dismay, the Fanatic merely stumbled, completely unfazed yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Useless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raised a foot and stomped the ground, creating a booming shockwave that knocked her back into the wall at a lethal velocity. Her spine snapped on impact with something hard and everything went black.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Solomon was glad that Marcus had jumped back in to fight as he resurrected her. They had no time for words. She needed to help him before he too was overwhelmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic must’ve known she was back, as he whirled around and started blasting her with lightning. Jadyn fought the urge to panic, cooly sidestepping and returning fire with her hand cannon, aiming for the cheeks and joints in the Scorn leader’s thick armor plating. Behind him, Marcus used his wires again to grab the husk of one of the mangled servitors and yanked it free, causing it to roll towards their mutual foe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic snarled in frustration as his two free hands grabbed onto the rolling sphere, even his strength being strained to arrest its momentum. With a throaty roar, he began to rip it in half, screeching metal that gave off a melancholy noise as if a device making one final gasp of life before the drained batteries caused it to die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He threw the pieces at them both, Jadyn used her wires to jump over them while Marcus caught the one heading for him, using its kinetic energy to yank it down and crush the stalkers approaching his position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes yes! Killing is what you do!” The Fanatic gleefully proclaimed. “Killing is ALL you do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?!” Jadyn cursed back. “You’re no better!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I give my people a better life! You...take them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus went back on the offense, reaching to his own Light to form a similar lightning staff in his hands. The Fanatic turned to him, bringing his weapon down, which the hunter parried, before breaking off and slashing away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw him about to stomp again and stopped, still shooting his chest with Trust and fired her own grapple wires. They ensnared on the raised clawed foot and she pulled, doing her best to keep him from knocking out her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Friend?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This didn’t seem to faze the Fanatic as he flipped his staff into his free arm, pointing at her and shooting another swirl of jagged lightning. Since she was stationary, there was almost no place to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She screamed out in pain as it washed over her armor and body, gritting her teeth as the white hot pain flared up. Her limbs refused to move on their own, twitching voluntarily as the electrical currents ran through. Trust fell from her grip, clattering uselessly to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn!” Marcus cried out, however the Fanatic was quick to spin around and shoot the same thing at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both hunters struggled against their arc bonds as the Fanatic stopped, breathing heavily as dark ether leaked from his enclosed helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not fear the dead!” He growled, unmoved as another painful sensation oscillated and caused them to scream again. “I control death! And you! You are more use to me alive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna be so sorry you didn’t get rid of us!” Jadyn screamed back, still fighting and grunting from her pained spasms. She was more angry at her helplessness than the Baron gloating in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go! Pursue your vengeance! I shall claim your fallen victims for my Scorn army! And I will come to give you and your dead kind...a permanent end!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fanatic wasted no time lingering around and vanished like the raiders. A few moments later, the arc prisons faded, allowing the guardians to finally be able to move their arms and legs at will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re fine.” Marcus said, answering both their Ghosts’ endless questions about their well-bring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The stronghold is secure. But the Barons escaped.” Solomon said sadly. “This was our one chance of ending this...and now they’ve scattered. What are we gonna do now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we gonna do?” Jadyn’s voice quavered with frustration as it seemed like she was threatening to boil over. “We fucked it up! Now with all the Barons gone! There’s no way we’re gonna find and take Uldren down in one fell swoop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thrust her arm out, throwing a trio of knives into the spot where the Fanatic had stood before he had disappeared. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For one, we regroup and think of a backup plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy for you to say.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, still huffing in an upset mood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus ignored the jab. “The Barons are all over the Tangled Shore. It’s not like they’re going to disappear forever. You’ve got factions of all kinds trying to get territory for themselves out here. They can’t control it all from the shadows. Eventually they’ll have to show themselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not helping this at all.” Jadyn replied sourly. “This was supposed to be simple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’re gonna sit here and say I fucked it up?” Marcus stalked up to her. “Why don’t you sit down, run something through your Ghost and brain for once and start looking at a backup plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t have the heart to say anything, knowing that he was right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for confirming it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it yourself.” Marcus looked around. “Besides, I don’t think you’re entirely to blame.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks again.” Her reply was still sour and she sat down on the metal floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a setup. The Scorn knew we were coming. We just have to do this the hard way...but if we’re smart, it’ll be easier than you think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached down to offer her a hand. Grimacing, she stretched out to grab it as he hauled her back up to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. Let’s go see your Spider friend and see if we can’t think of something that’ll work.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Hunt is On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Now that Destiny's Pentober prompts are done and Beyond Light is around the corner, let's get back to the regular updates of the Forsaken fic!</p><p>Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Even though Spider knew the type when he first met Jadyn Amaris, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in amusement when she returned back to his safehouse visibly frustrated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time around, she was accompanied by another guardian. Judging by their build and gait, he suspected the newcomer was a male and seemingly following her lead. He must’ve been the same class of guardian, with slender gunmetal shaded armor and a long flowing cloak down his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Strange creatures. You don’t see that in many Houses where the females are the authoritative kind. Not like her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, Jadyn was the type who didn’t have the need to constantly prove herself, especially to men. The male guardian stood back a ways, eyeing Spider’s men and Shank with barely concealed apprehension, but remained silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?” He leaned forward, slightly irked that she had the most opportune time to interrupt another business dealing. “Did you find what you were looking for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” The answer came from her was venomous and sharp as any of the spears his bodyguards carried. “I didn’t get a single one of the fucking Barons. They all got away...had an exit strategy this whole goddamn time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At least it’s not all bad. Some of my supply caches that I’ll need to conduct this new deal got recovered. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve still done me a huge favor in getting those caches. Cut my losses down to just one of my loyal associates...again; tell your little morsel that all who work for me know the risks they sign up for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t help they’re all scattered. I had a chance to kill them all.” Jadyn’s hands clenched into fists. “And I fucking blew it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well that’s unfortunate. Maybe my Scorn problems are just beginning.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As if reading his mind, Shank handed him a small stack of papers. He took them in his hands and gestured Jadyn and her male consort closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider chuckled and showed her what they were; all wanted posters on stained yellow paper from the Prison of Elders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh you really showed them, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glared at him behind her visor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider dismissed at as part of her normal spunky behavior, despite it amusing him. “A little piece of advice for you eh? Know your enemy before you deal with them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pointed to the first paper, showing the Baron the duo encountered in the bridge that led to the Scorn’s lair. “Reksis Vahn. The Hangman. A silent sadist...one who used to dock the arms of dregs with his bare hands. Hates servitors with an unusual passion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And probably the most unstable of the group. All in their own right, but seeing footage of it is painful enough already.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Next was the Baron who had multiple bandoliers of crude explosive devices attached to his vest. More than one limb was missing as well, replaced by a metal prosthesis. “Kaniks. The Mad Bomber with an emphasis on mad. A demolition expert with an irritating way about him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next was the small hooded one. “The Trickster. Araskes; a liar and a schemer. Friendly advice; trust nothing she touches.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hiraks the Mindbender.” Spider moved to the tall beefy fallen who possessed a large chitin crest over his head like a pair of horns. “The mad genius with a rep for manipulation...as well as a morbid obsession of the Hive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yaviks. AKA the Rider, the leader of a bombastic gang of pike riding heathens.” Although she looked the least dangerous, he was well aware of her capabilities to ensue instability. “They sow chaos everywhere they ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next was probably the one Jadyn wanted to go after the most. The stalker who was undefeated in marksmanship, who touted with his prey like a game. The fact he was grinning maliciously behind the warbeast pelt over his back was more than enough to enrage any guardian who knew of his reputation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Rifleman Pirrha; the only fallen alive who could have made the shot that mortalized Cayde-6. And a number of guardians as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next was the Machinist, the tallest of the group, looking even larger thanks to the oversized missile battery she kept on her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elykris, the Machinst. The Scourge of Solis Descent. This one sits atop a trove of tech and heavy armaments that were stolen from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah yes, the Fanatic. I do like the name Key-Head Jadyn has picked out for him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Fanatic himself. Fikrul. The leader of the Barons and the first of the Scorn. All of his black magic has no place on my Shore. No place!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And finally it was the one she was after the whole time. The ultimate prize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And last, but most certainly least, Uldren Sov. A traitor to his own people and the man who pulled the trigger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And there’s no word on him.” Jadyn crossed her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He may be in the wind,” Spider told her before gesturing to the board. “But, his Barons? They’re ripe for the picking. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Divide et impera</span>
  </em>
  <span> and isolate Uldren. He’ll wind up on his knees at your feet. And then all you’ll have to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped, seeing a glimpse of solar light flickering through her hands. Though she couldn’t see it, the eliksni kingpin smirked to himself, seeing the hungered flames of vengeance burning within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is pull the trigger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced over the posters, her gaze settling on the Hangman and Rifleman the longest. “So what now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s just what I said. You’ll need to get Uldren all by himself so his Barons can’t protect him. Start at the bottom of the Scorn food chain and then work your way up. It’s eight against one...and I so hate betting on the underdog.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m the underdog? I’ll show you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But,” Spider stopped her as if he already sensed her resentment at him saying that. “You are resourceful and brought yourself some help.” He gestured to Marcus standing behind her. “The two of you can conquer twice as much ground. Four Barons apiece and maybe you’ll fight over who gets the honor of putting a bullet in the back of the prince’s head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be me.” Jadyn said venomously. “And we’re doing this together. I want to see every Baron look me in the eye before I kill them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha! The overkill type! I love it. Well then, you’ll find these lunatics have their own way of doing things. Some will be right in the open for you to go after...and others are going to take a little bit of sweet talking before they come out to play. However, I can assist you as best I can by giving you a rough estimate of each their territory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to his assistant. “Shank, give our guardian friend what she needs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir.” Her monotone voice had echoed in her helmet as she hit a few things on her large tablet and held it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon hesitantly phased out and beamed the side of the device before fading away again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it. They take up a lot of the Tangled Shore.” He said in her strat-comm. “We almost have our own pick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I want the Fanatic.” Jadyn unsheathed her hip knife. “Let’s cut the head off the snake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider made a clicking sound with his mandibles and shook his head. “Well I’m sorry to disappoint your eagerness, but I’ve heard almost nothing on the Fanatic...or even the Machinist. Those two are always around Uldren, scheming who knows what, away from prying eyes. Perhaps they’ll have to be the ones you need to coax out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I knew this was going to be like that! When will I learn nothing is ever simple?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll wait. Wait until one of those Barons comes on our radar...then we’re going to take them out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A wise choice friend. You and your little morsel have my contact information and vice versa. I’ll ping you once word circulates around a Baron has shown their ugly face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully it won’t be long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally I’d say days or even weeks. But given how the Scorn are so active and encroaching on </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>turf, it will be very much sooner.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The silence between the two hunters was long and pregnant as they rode their sparrows back across the open field of the asteroids. Wind howled at all sides, tugging their vehicles and forcing them to go close to a wall that blocked the gusty chill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been quiet.” Jadyn said tersely to Marcus as he followed her two lengths behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just trying to stay warm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The answer wasn’t polite, but it wasn’t argumentative either. His tone made it clear that he had something on his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was killing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t give him a reason to antagonize you again.” Solomon said quietly. “It’s not worth it. Yet you fall for it every time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like I can’t help it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about not taking the bait? That usually works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess. But if we’re gonna be stuck here for Traveler knows how long...then we’re going to have to tolerate each other. As teeth grinding as that will be.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what’s your plan?” Marcus asked, breaking the palpable silence. “Your top two bids were off the board for reasons. Now what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m thinking we just wait for Spider’s tip and then go after whoever shows themselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You trust this Spider?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t say that I do.” Marcus said. “People like him...once you’re in his inner circle or owing him favors, you’re never out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t believe that.” Solomon assured her. “We’ll be done with this place once Uldren is dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. But I can’t help but think that Marcus is right somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She keyed her strat-comm again. “Yeah. But Spider is our best chance at finding the Scorn Barons that will lead us to haircut. Plus he needs our help in securing the Shore and preventing it from turning into an anarchist wasteland.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By taking control from one gang and giving it to the other?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh, why does he have to twist my words like that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn again resisted the urge to deck him once they arrived at their ships.“Look. I know we’ve never really gotten along even though we’ve known each other for what...six years now? If you’re the only one that’s coming to help me, can you at least not make this harder than it needs to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just stating the truth here Jadyn. By killing Uldren and his lackeys, you’re not making life any easier for anyone living here. Give it a bit of time and there will be another dirtbag to claim their place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“During my Hivebuster days...and other times I’d run on my own to chase down prisoners who would go to the Prison of Elders.” He wondered if anyone he had put away had broken out and was seeking revenge against him. “It was a never ending cycle in the Reef. Always the next one to take their place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They can come find me. But they’re not going for Jadyn. I won’t let that happen.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed as they neared the openings where the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend </span>
  </em>
  <span>and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> were docked, guarded by a pair of sensors and Onyx able to remotely use his ship’s onboard weapons in a quick surprise defensive action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I’ll try. For you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was almost ready to be flattered by that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled up beside her, Onyx transmatting his sparrow inside the ship’s hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s your plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn cupped the bottom of her helmet. “We wait until we hear word of a Scorn Baron nearby. Then we get there as soon as possible and then take them out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a very concrete plan.” Marcus noted, “But it’s better than nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to snap at him for griping, but stopped again realizing that his point was valid and he wasn’t trying to purposely get under her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, do you have a better idea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Around here, information is just as valuable a currency as glimmer. And the best source of information comes from the people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saying we should head back into town?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Remember the tavern we saw on our way out from Spider’s lair? I bet we’ll find something or someone who can help lead us on the right path.” He said. “It also happens to be near a pike garage that Yaviks the Rider supposedly uses. Worth a look in my opinion.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The tavern Marcus spotted wasn’t far from Spider’s lair. As they went along to rendezvous with Petra, it was basically a barely noticeable entrance that was just like the circular door seen on fallen ships. Jadyn never understood why the species had such a fascination with stuff that was round. From servitors to doorways to storage pods. Everything was circular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunters had their weapons in a holster as they approached a second entrance that was at the end of a curving hallway. At the very end were a trio of fallen; one captain and two wretches, both of which were holding arc spears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s hand went immediately to Trust, but Marcus gently grabbed her wrist and made a subtle shake of his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Guns holstered.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He peeled back his cloak to show that he was unarmed. The wretches saw them approaching and raised their electrified spears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had to almost physically restrain herself from drawing a weapon so close to fallen. These didn’t seem to be affiliated with Spider’s gang or the House of Dusk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But at least they weren’t Scorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wretches kept their spears lowered as the captain leered them over before finally making a subtle nod and stepping aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kept close to the other hunter’s side as the door slid open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beyond them was a large open expanse not unlike the shady bars and pubs she had seen in shows and movies. Glasses clinked against dim orange light. A musty smell lingered in the area, typical of where eliksni often hung around along with something close to burned leather. Jadyn was grateful it wasn’t overwhelming, but she still felt like gagging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something she noticed right away was the different patrons, the diversity of which that shocked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Humans, awoken, covered by cloaks and mismatched bits of armor that she recognized some were both City and Reef made. There were also other fallen and in the far corner were a trio of cabal and psions, all with the same ragged clothing and armor. Their helmets were burned and scuffed in multiple areas while making those muffled growling sounds she had heard for far too long while fighting the Red Legion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of which, their bulky armor had hints of crimson and white, evident deserters. She wasn’t surprised. After she and Marcus along with Razoredge had destroyed the new leader Val Ca’uor, the entire military force had fallen into irreparable disarray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But nobody said anything at the newcomers, some turned their heads to see who had arrived, but quickly returned to their own business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus picked a spot isolated from most other people, casting wary eyes at the others who glanced at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t himself he was worried about. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What am I thinking? Jadyn could probably kick the ass of anyone in this bar if they tried to do anything to her. Myself included.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The bartender was a fallen vandal, dressed in plain clothes and a far-outdated rebreather. He regarded them with glowing white eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pleasuurrrrre?” It asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we doing here?” Jadyn asked quietly, looking around a bit worried at everyone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Information.” Marcus turned back to the bartender. “Ether Eater. Me and the lady.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Virrrrrgin?” It followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Virgin?” Jadyn felt a hot flush on her cheeks. “What kind of a damn question is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax.” Marcus fought the urge to laugh at her apprehension. “The drink. It’s infused with dense ether...meant for the fallen to drink. Virgin is meant for consumption of other species since ether is toxic to many.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Her cheeks suddenly flushed again, a bit embarrassed for him to point that out. “I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ether’s poisonous if you or I ingest it. Numbs yourself of pain and puts you in a high.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vandal arrived with their drinks, two clear mugs filled with a thin cloudy dark gray liquid. Marcus had his ghost stow his helmet and brushed his hair. Jadyn did the same and almost recoiled from the sour pungent scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It tastes better than it smells.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah I’ll take your word for it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn swallowed the lump in her throat and resisted the urge to gag from the beverage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes went wide as she tasted it, a combination of slightly sweet, significant salty and the bitterness of very strong alcohol. Tears stung her eyes when she set the mug back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy hell.” She breathed. “What is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fallen drink. Not really suited for human tastes, but it’s only in stock when liquor gets shipped from places like Reefedge.” Marcus explained. “Just be careful about your clothing too. It leaves some nasty stains that are a pain in the ass to get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nasty.” Jadyn said, staring at the drink in disgust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m paying for this...so you better drink it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My ass. Jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus made a light chuckle, but didn’t retort. Jadyn found it both maddening that it didn’t get a reaction or wondered if he was just used to being called that all the time by her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what are we doing here? I thought you said we were getting information.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are. Just be patient. Relax, have a drink and listen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the two of them did. Conversation went idly between them from the newest popular weapons in the Crucible to Marcus’ own side business of customizing guns. Jadyn actually found it neat to hear him talk so enthusiastically about something...even if she found it rather trivial when he talked about tailoring weapons perfectly to the guardian as an “operator” trope. Guns were guns to her, just point and shoot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, some of the gear she had sent to him to modify for missions had been miles better than before. There was no denying his skill as a gunsmith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, Marcus seemed to be a little more relaxed than when they entered the bar. Most people kept to themselves and he could pick out some of the shadier figures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After twenty minutes, the vandal bartender returned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did guardians like Dwarksys’ drink?” He hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent. Dwarksys brews it himself. Local favorite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know of anything on the Scorn?” Jadyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dwarksys paused, a little too abruptly and she knew that she was too straightforward. His eyes narrowed at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Guardians bring nothing but trouble.” He hissed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus glanced around to see some of the other fallen lingering inside glance over at them, having overheard their conversations. As much as he was itching for a fight and the two of them could easily take everyone in the room, he smothered his feelings of aggression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to forgive my friend here.” He explained. “She’s...new to these parts. We’re not here for trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardians bring trouble whether they like it or not.” Dwarksys said. “Talk about Scorn here get people dead. You not the first to ask about Scorn and wind up gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Jadyn began to realize why Marcus wanted to go to a bar in what had passed for a town. This was sort of a gathering place...a rough truce where people could meet and drink. And it was also a place where information flowed like rivers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she never expected either of them to act this formal or civil towards a fallen. Then again, out here it was always a game of survival if you were in the middle of it, or staying away from the center if they could. She wondered if City fugitives were hiding here. The answer was more than likely yes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scorn rule Tangled Shore. Thanks to dark magic of Fikrul.” Dwarksys growled. “Everyone stays away and they pillage whatever they want or find. House of Dusk, human and awoken gangs and Red Legion bad enough...fighting never stops. But Scorn...they worst of the worst. Worse than hive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider gave us a map of roughly each Baron’s territory.” Marcus said nodding. “You’re right in that they pretty much have complete control over the local area.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Yaviks’ territory. She brings only destruction when riding through here. Raids supply ports all around. Reason why no human liquor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn almost detected a bit of regret on Dwarksys’ face...if it constituted as one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yaviks always wants trouble. Trickster Araskes too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They both visit here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only ones people are willing to tolerate. Hangman too insane. Others too dangerous. People stay away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anyway we can start? If the Rider and Trickster rule these streets,” Jadyn started. “Then we can find their network and draw them out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dwarksys paused and glanced around before leaning in close. Both humans could smell the stench that reeked of rotting meat from the bartenders breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trickster always pays in fraud glimmer. Laughs at us. Can’t trick back because of fear of death or bringing servitors to hangman.” He visibly shuddered and they knew that taking the ether supplying machines would be as much as a death sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Rider?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Has secret garage in town.” He seemed to be a bit more apologetic and the silence meant he couldn’t say more. Marcus had to guess all the info he had snitched out on was more than enough to warrant death by the Scorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He said finally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eliksni nodded. “Trickster likes to forge false glimmer to scam. If you want I can set up. You newcomers, so it will be hard to trust, but she loves scamming new people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If she likes scamming new people, then how does she really make money for the Scorn?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because customers know she is trickster. Tolerants get better business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So the only way to get to see this trickster is to let her have her fun with us? Lovely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it worth it?” Solomon asked in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. The Trickster was among the ones that killed my mentor.” Jadyn’s hand gripped her knife and gun in their holsters. “I want her dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dwarksys sighed. “Very well. Buy another drink. We work out details.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh Traveler, another round? Ah well, Marcus is paying.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Two hours later, the hunters had driven back to their ships parked in the alcove where Marcus went inside for a while. Jadyn felt bored and frustrated that all they could do was wait until they got a lead. So far only the Trickster and Rider were the only ones openly terrorizing the Shore in this location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ailsa’s sending us a resupply of ammo and rations on the next freighter that comes in from Reefedge.” Solomon said. “It’s arrival should be in two days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll manage for the time being.” She had enough supplies until then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s not all.” He added. “The dock where the cargo hauler comes in is along the Rider’s territory. You and I both know she’s going to want to raid it for whatever she wants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And we’re not letting that happen.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn decided to open the case that held her compound bow and practice on paper targets she had nailed to the rocks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bows were not her thing; they had just made a resurgence in the midst of the Red War when the supply of gun parts became scarce during it and the winter. Since then; its popularity had stuck among all three guardian classes as a lightweight and flexible long range option that was an excellent counter to snipers and distant targets. Bows were seldom seen in the Crucible, but someone who excelled was definitely fun to watch on the highlight reels of the week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn let out another growl of frustration as the tension got too great for the umpteenth time and the arrow flew to the corner of her paper target.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goddammit. Why is this so hard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just relax.” Solomon assured her. “You’ll get it. Ailsa wasn’t a natural either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well she lives and breathes bows. She’s an awoken archer for Traveler’s sake. Could hit someone’s thumbnail blocks away. And Marcus has sniper skills I think are basically not even human...or guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was definitely going to be bringing him along when it was time to track down the Rifleman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re putting too much tension on the string.” His voice came from behind as she tried and failed yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shame and humiliation flashed on her cheeks. Practice after practice didn’t take this long to at least have some sign of progress. As soon as she thought she had the technique nailed down, it eluded her grasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” She said dryly. “You’re a big help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus crosses his arms, similarly terse. “Stay loose with your aiming arm. The tightness you want is when you draw your arrow. But too much tension and it will shoot itself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah I don’t need your help!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh really?” She turned around to him. “Then why don’t you try it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt as if she was challenging him and rolled his eyes, walking down to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus grabbed the bow, sighted in the paper target to the left. He drew an arrow, nocking it in the string and pulling it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as he remained still before abruptly firing. The arrow whistled through the air hitting the target just an inch below dead center, more accurate than anything she had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a little stiff. The drawstring at least. But it’ll be broken in pretty quickly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what’s wrong about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong about it? Nothing. You’re just not used to using a bow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you get so good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ailsa. You seem to have forgotten that I carried a bow with us when we had to hunt game during the nasty ass winter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shifted over to her side. “First, you’ll want to have a good stance. Keep yourself steady is the most important part.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus squatted down slightly. “I bend my knees just a little bit, sort of like hunched.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re always hunched.” Jadyn pointed out. It was true. The other hunter had the same catlike behaviorisms whenever he was doing close quarters combat or building clears. It was almost edgy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her that look again. “Are you going to nitpick me or are you going to listen. It’s not exactly your strong suit, so I shouldn’t be all that surprised.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There it is again. Jerk.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bows can be shot for long range, so you’ll have the make similar judgments in elevation especially the further out of your shot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded. “Okay. Let’s try again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drew another arrow, copying his stance and letting loose. This one flew close to his, but still outside the inner circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s better.” She could tell Marcus was impressed. “Keep on practicing your stance and aim. We’ve got nothing but time.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt like she had gotten much better with the bow as they practiced throughout the day, stopping for a ration meal out of their ships.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The strange thing about the Tangled Shore was that there wasn’t much of a sense of day and night like back on Earth. The sky always remained that violet purple color as clouds of dust and vapor rolled overhead, blocking out the sun and darkening the area considerably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Marcus heated the packs in the</span>
  <em>
    <span> Raythe’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>tiny kitchenette with Onyx and checked both their gear, Jadyn poured over the Tangled Shore map and conditions with Solomon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider was right.” Her ghost pointed out. “This is right in the middle of the Rider and Trickster’s territory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the others?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn pointed to a spot close to the Thieves Landing. “Dwarksys added in his input that people often see Scorn chaining servitors in this area and hauling them to his lair. The hangman doesn’t come out often...so we’ll probably have to go after him. Same with the Mindbender. The best place to look for him would be in the vicinity of the crashed hive tombship here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Mad Bomber often lurks around the outskirts, planting new mines. I hope the ships flying around know where they’re at. He plants new ones every day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. The Spider had been right. There were eight barons as the leadership of the Scorn plus Uldren. And it was just her and Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll take them down together.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx just pinged me.” Solomon reported. “Marcus is outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stood up in her ship’s cabin and opened the main hatch. The other hunter stood on the other side, holding two opened pouches. A thin wisp of steam curled from their slits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dinner is served.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn peered inside the pouch he handed her. Beans with rice and chicken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus glanced at her, seeing that she had stripped off her armor and was in comfortable sweatpants and a black tanktop. She had always been just a little bit self conscious when she was around him, but her attention was focused on the food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank the Traveler. I was starving.” The beans, rice and chicken breast wasn’t her most favorite, but it was far better than the okra that was in abundance during the nasty winter.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>When the hell did she get so damn hot?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t polite to stare. But he couldn’t help eyeing her toned stomach and hips with just a hint of midriff. She had caught him a couple of times already and reacted in the way most people would expect women to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t a pervert, but just someone who appreciated a good looking individual of the opposite sex. Thankfully he turned away when she looked back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll uh. Uh, I’ll see you later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he was gone before she could say anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder what was up with him. Was he staring at my ass again?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nine times out of ten,” Solomon said to her. “It’s going to be a yes.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The waiting game continued into the evening. Jadyn took a brief shower, making use of every moment of the ninety second time limit before settling down on her bed with a datapad and watching a net series she had been following since Cayde introduced it to her as a longtime City classic for entertainment. A couple of episodes in and she found herself nodding off to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Solomon woke her up. He said Onyx was doing the same to Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had gotten a response on their offer of laundering glimmer to the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Trickster was interested.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Araskes, the Trickster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's time for Beyond Light! Sooooo excited for what's going to happen in the story, season and the raid coming out in a couple of weeks! Now that Pentober is done, I'm going all in on this to hopefully power it to the finish.</p><p>One of my favorite things about this part of Forsaken is the manner in which you can choose which of the Barons to go after. Of course they were all in gradually rising light levels, but if you were already strong enough, it wouldn't matter which order.<br/>Anyway, this is what I did for my first playthrough. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jadyn had to shake the fatigue out of her head as she kept low and close underneath a jutting lip of rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their response from the Trickster was a set of coordinates into a location where they were at now, trying to pick her out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The area on the map was known as Sorik’s Cut, home to another town where people again kept to themselves in a loose agreement of staying out of one another's' business for the sake of survival. Jadyn was just glad no civilians were around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there were plenty of scorn. And cabal.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Red Legion. Figures. Can’t go anywhere in this damn system without running into these guys.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t sure if they were a group that was still loyal to whatever leadership remained, or just fighting for their own survival. But they had spotted the hunters on approach and fired upon by psion snipers perched up hidden in the cliffsides. They sped through on their sparrows before Marcus took up a perch of his own to greet their pursuants with his custom Long Shadow sniper rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the gunshots had drawn attention from the scorn as they crawled out of several holes and burrows on the far end and ended up running into a group of Red Legion cabal. Jadyn paid little attention despite being a full on firefight between the undead fallen that killed Cayde and the same group that attacked her City and killed countless people.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We should’ve just let all our enemies kill each other and then go after the winner. Would’ve been so much simpler.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know if the Trickster was going to show if it was just a slugfest of scorn and cabal killing one another. But their offer and amount of glimmer was supposedly too good for the conniving Araskes to resist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Trickster had also seen Jadyn before, so there was little she could do in preventing her from turning tail and running if it came down to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you see anything?” She asked Marcus. For some reason she wasn’t really curious to know what he saw...she just wanted to talk and hear his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When did I ever want that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause before he replied over the strat-comm. “Not really. Still two psions who are trying to work together to keep me pinned.” She heard the popping sound of the headhunter sniper rifle the cabal used along with red lasers to guide the user. “Sorry I can’t keep you covered here. They like me too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay. You’re doing great.” <em>Maybe you can annoy them to death.</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for your encouragement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn followed her waypoint Solomon had set up which led to the coordinates from the Trickster. It was close to a large pipeline that wandered further into town and a large building shaft that had a rotating turbine at the top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost jumped from another thunderclap, followed by something being struck from up high. To her right, a psion’s suit hissed as cabal oil spurted out mixed with blood. The corpse toppled from its perch on a rock down into the gorge. Jadyn stepped back, allowing it to fall to a halt in front of her. Sure enough, a sniper round had punched a neat hole through its armored helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice shot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t answer her, but she knew he heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The coordinates were in front of her, so she took a moment to make sure the scorn and cabal didn’t spot her sneaking through the battlefield before taking off on the short distance through open field to the point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trust was unholstered and aimed as she vaulted over the side, ready to blow out the brains of the Trickster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only it was empty, save for a pile of glimmer that spilled out from a split crate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heads up Jadyn, you’ve got company heading your way. A pack of scorn just broke off from fighting.” Marcus told her. She heard his sniper clap again several times and knew he had dropped a handful. He cursed out loud. “They’re out of my sight. On you in a couple of seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn whirled around, already summoning a fan of fire knives and throwing them with a flick of her wrist. One of them missed a target, but the other two took the heads off a couple of approaching stalkers. Another group approached, swinging maces around wildly and she double tapped the one leading the pack. The dragonfly rounds ignited and combusted the body in an explosion which ended up wiping out the rest of the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a setup.” She hissed through frustrated teeth. “The Trickster knew we were coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey calm down.” Solomon said, even though he knew his guardian had made up her mind as she jumped out of the area and fired at the scorn that were following the other group. “You remember what the bartender said, the Trickster keeps business to those that put up with her antics.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That kind of sounds like me and you.” Marcus broke in..</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why do we share strat-comms?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a signature I noticed on the glimmer.” Solomon said, annoyed that Jadyn was letting Marcus get under her skin again. “Let me have a closer look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She phased him out and stood guard as he scanned it with his beam a couple of times and phased back out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought. This glimmer is encrypted with a signature. Araskes. The Trickster. She’s a coward who hides behind traps and flunkies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess that would make sense.” Jadyn said, already dropped the rest of the scorn. The cabal seemed to have lost interest and disappeared. Only the chieftain remained, snarling a challenge at her. It threw the totem, which unfolded into a spinning vortex of flame. She made to destroy it, but a sniper round whizzed by to shatter the device. She broke its shield with Trust before swapping to her shotgun and blasting it in the chest. It staggered back, somehow still standing. But not for long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grunted, swinging her foot in her signature hook kick that finally toppled it over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well we made short work of the Trickster’s henchmen.” Jadyn put her hands on her hips, rather proud of her handiwork. “No sign of her at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think someone with that name is going to openly trust us to show herself right off the bat?” Solomon asked her. “She’s seen what you look like after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fair point. Plus he did say she was a coward.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was known for being brash and bull-headed sometimes, rushing into the midst of fighting without properly thinking. Sometimes she couldn’t help it...that aggressive, quickness that hunters possessed in getting the first shot off before their opponent could retaliate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If it lived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been beaten by more patient hunters as well in the Crucible. Often times, her trigger happy fighting style made it easy for her opponents in the sport to use that against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps she could make the Trickster do the same. If she was that same guns blazing type of character when trying to hunt the Baron, it was possible she could show herself to annoy her for her own amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon, let’s find more of the Trickster’s henchmen. I’ve got an idea.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t seem too enthused about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he also didn’t have another idea and pointed out that she may be onto something. He jumped from his hiding spot, using his grapple wire to slide down the hillside he was perched and joined her, drawing his own hand cannon at the bottom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never figured you would use one of your famous flaws to your advantage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to punch him, but realized that it was exactly what she was doing. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Using her own “stupidity” and eagerness to inviting the Trickster to play a game to further antagonize her. It meant making a fool out of herself which probably did everything to serve Marcus’ amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it would mean the Trickster could find even more enjoyment by toying with her herself. Jadyn was hoping that her wit would be what caught the conniving eliksni off guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But how much am I going to have to keep looking like an idiot in front of Marcus? Now he’s going to have all the ammunition he needs to make sure I never hear the end of it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Finding an envoy of the Trickster surprisingly didn’t take long. Several raiders that were in the area seemed to have a knowledge of the Baron’s hideout which contained her hoard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider sent us a message.” Solomon said as she jumped straight into combat with them. “Reiterates to be extremely careful. He once had to deal with the Trickster and it nearly cost him his life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah thanks.” Jadyn said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The info he provides on her reads almost like that...thing you discovered on Io called fan...fiction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She immediately felt her stomach go cold. “Fanfiction. Is that the one where people who have no life dabble about the characters of shows and games?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Solomon sighed. “Araskes’ list of feats she’s accomplished makes her sound like a self-insert. A common and much hated trope in stories...even today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn already knew what that meant. She said nothing and continued to shoot. One of the envoys was the last one to fall and she noticed a familiar glowing golden white object roll along the floor as she incinerated its body from the dragonfly rounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An exotic engram!” Her heart practically skipped a beat as she couldn’t believe her luck. “No way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It never crossed her mind about whether it was luck. Exotic rarity engrams were extremely rare and guardians were usually so preoccupied with disbelief in their luck that they overlooked everything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Same thing here. Jadyn had temporarily forgotten in her haste to scramble for it rolling across the sloped surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn wait!” Solomon said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was too late. She scooped it up and half heard her ghost’s plea to drop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly something barreled into her from behind, knocking the engram from her grasp as it rolled on the rocky surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had hit her in a side tackle, causing the two of them to tumble down the slope away from the other scorn and the engam. They landed on a flat metal platform in a tangle of limbs that closely parodied intimacy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s temper flared and her hands lashed out to grab the other hunter by the throat. Her face burned hotly and she was mostly positive of the fact he robbed her of a prize.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not because I was lying on top of him. Not at all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” She had practically screamed right in front of his visor. Also thankful he couldn't see the blush on her features. “Are you trying to intentionally screw me over?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Marcus could even muster a response, the engram had caught her eye. She was just ready to grab it again when the small object exploded, blasting a blackened crater in the ground with the force of a demolition charge. A fine cloud of dust kicked up, surrounding the area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was rigged to blow.” Solomon said in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn roughly pushed herself off him and sat up, head hung over and refusing to look at her teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had once again been proven right by her own recklessness and she was furious more with herself than she was with him for jumping the gun to a conclusion. If anything, he did her a favor and prevented it from killing or blowing off a number of limbs. That would’ve been even more embarrassing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She half expected him to retort, but he rolled onto his feet and retrieved his rifle. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” The reply was neither warm nor cold. “The engram...it,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It had an explosive charge affixed to it inside. There would be no way for you to open it without triggering the primer and detonator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to thank him, but she figured this wasn’t the time or the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did the Trickster make the engram?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ghost looked through her camera feed and paused it for a moment. “She did. I can see the same signature etched it as on the glimmer in a still. But,” Jadyn could almost feel him shuddering. “If a shipment of those engrams ever made their way to the Last City...we can’t let that happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then we find the source. It’s not easy to fit an explosive that powerful inside an engram without damaging or destroying it for good. They have to have a machine somewhere.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And it sucks to see all these exotics go to waste. No wonder they’re so damn hard to come by.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Marcus asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn looked down at the crater the explosion had made. “Perhaps if we find the machine that rigged those engrams, we can get a whereabouts on the Trickster’s location.” Solomon suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, are you asking for my approval?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I say no. We find another way, but I don’t have a better suggestion, so let’s find it.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It took a while of searching, but Marcus spotted another one of the Trickster’s envoys and put it down with a well placed sniper bullet. Like the one they had killed earlier, a golden exotic engram fell loose from the satchel and rolled across the ground like a ball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn scooped it up, now fully aware of the danger it possessed. Once she did, the rough spherical object hissed loudly as her action ended up triggering the crude motion sensor inside. Like most of the scorn technology, the timer, detonator and other hardware were extremely primitive and crude, but it was still effective, capable of grievous harm. Jadyn didn’t want to think about if hypothetically the engrams did get to the City and go off. The insides filled with molten hot shrapnel and nails would create horrifying wounds to tissue, metal and concrete alike. It would be regarded as another unprecedented terror attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And that’s the last thing the City needs right now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As the rest of the scorn in the group approached, she cocked her arm back and launched it straight in the middle. It struck the ground with enough force to trigger the explosion and send a wave of metal shrapnel out. Jadyn felt a couple bits of it plink off her armor, but the undead fallen weren’t so lucky. They were skewered or incinerated while snapping their saliva-filled jaws angrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The envoy came from that structure over there.” Solomon highlighted a large tubular device with a long shaft and a turbine spinning at the top. “Fabricators don’t all look the same and I can’t tell if that is one...or just a really big windmil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess we’ll find out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The two hunters ascended a ramp that encircled the machine. As they got closer to the top, the hum of it functioning had grown louder until they felt the entire metal corridor vibrate when one of the blades passed overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another envoy.” Marcus said. They opened fire to quickly kill it and the group of stalkers standing close by. As they did, their HUDs flashed towards the bottom and they saw more scorn, this time some torch wielding wraiths and a chieftain coming up to confront them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stepped away. “Do your thing. I’ll keep them busy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then arc energy crackled around his arms and he summoned his staff before jumping down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn turned back to the machine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon, any ideas for destroying this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve spotted oscillators that should put it out of commission. Two of them. They look to be void shielded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had marked two sections with identical square sockets and wires plugged in and out. And he was right at a faint purple black film covered them, protecting them from abrasions and gunfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, give the Trickster points for coming prepared. If this machine is easily damaged, then she did the right thing in protecting its most vulnerable part. Beats me as to why it’s completely exposed...but hey, I’m taking the opportunity.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A sniper bullet whizzed past her and she spun around to see a raider envoy standing in the middle, right underneath a section where the blades would pass harmlessly in front. Behind him was a growing pile of counterfeit engrams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn summoned a fan of knives, flicking her wrist out. The sharp objects spun in midair and flew towards the envoy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the fan turbine suddenly came in front, causing them to harmlessly bury themselves into its metal surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The raider snarled and raised its rifle again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was faster, pulling out Trust and firing in its direction. She was surprised to see it flinch as one round struck it in the leg before it vanished in a swirl of dark ether and vanished around the corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another blade passed and she paled a little at seeing how quickly they rotated. One moment too late and she could either be scraped against the wall or a meaty red stain on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the next one passed in front, she took off on a sprint across the narrow beam as fast as she possibly could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next blade was fast approaching and advancing quickly. For a moment it looked like she wasn’t going to make it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before her thoughts manifested, her arm had extended out and her grappling wire shot out, latching firmly onto the metal shaft in the center. Reeling it in, she surprised herself as her body was launched forward, narrowly fitting into the gap as the blade passed behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah let’s not do that again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard a screech and turned to see the raider envoy barreling towards her. Trust was drawn just a little too slow as the alien swatted it aside with a burly limb. It swung a rusted crescent knife at her that she narrowly dodged backwards, nearly falling over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The raider rushed her again and her eyes darted over to the pile of engrams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her wire easily attached to one and tugged it free. She swung her arm around, releasing it again, this time towards her attacker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinct took over and the envoy grabbed it with two hands, sneering at her rather pathetic attempt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except she had increased the outward pressure on the wire, pushing the engram...and its holder out into the open air. The envoy had realized it too late and vanished in an explosion as the engram detonated as it collided with the oscillator and blade that had swung in to provide zero chance of escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s trick had worked. The explosive charge was powerful enough to vaporize any working mechanisms of one oscillator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn!” Marcus said on their strat-comms. She could hear the faint rattle of gunfire, likely him still engaged with others down below. “Are you okay?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...I had to improvise.” She grabbed another engram, turning around to see the second oscillator. As the timer ticked down, she watched the blades spin by again, rearing her arm back and letting fly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like throwing one of her workout medicine balls. But she had enough practice to be able to accurately get it on target. The explosive easily cut through the weak void shielding, blasting apart the oscillator. She could hear the machine powering down as a vent hissed above her to compensate for the lack of a rather critical component.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone else had cut on her strat-comms. It wasn’t Marcus or Onyx.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no!” A rather raspy voice sounded worried in a rather sardonic manner before a cackle escaped its lips. “It found our little factory of delights! If only we had planned for this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The hell?” Marcus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the Trickster.” Solomon said, stating the obvious. “It’s gotta be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn reeled her wires back into her wrist gauntlets and scooped up Trust. “Were you able to trace the source of the broadcast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, some good news for once. It’s originating in the nearby tunnel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then what’s the bad news?” Marcus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The trace was too easy for someone who’s known as the Trickster.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The two hunters stood side by side at the mouth of the cave. It had taken a bit of a walk and evading of Red Legion that patrolled the area before they came across their destination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had stowed his sniper rifle away for his hand cannon. He waved the barrel in the direction. “After you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a gentleman.” Jadyn resisted the urge to curtsy and took a step forward before stopping abruptly. “Wait a second.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you letting me go first so I draw out any potential ambushers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The male hunter was quiet for a moment, “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put her hands on her hips and pouted at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus would never admit it out loud, but he found it rather cute seeing her in that kind of mood. Plus it was fun to mess with her playfully from time to time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we gonna get this ugly bastard or are you going to question my chivalry any more?” He paused for just a second. “I’ll be more than happy to answer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could tell he was enjoying this, judging by his posture and likely grinning behind his helmet’s visor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez, I think maybe you need to go on a romantic dinner and star-cruise in Reefedge when we get some shore leave.” Onyx butted in. “I know why you asked her to go first. You’re both terrible at flirting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ouch.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn shook her head and led on. She could almost feel Marcus’ eyes on her backside and was thankful again that her cloak covered a portion of her posterior and toned thighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However he was all business this time around as their ghosts remained by their side, flashing their lights to illuminate the dark passage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keeping their sights up; they scanned the corners, moving in a staggered formation and using the winding walls as cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How deep does this lead?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what they did know was that it was a cave full of rats. Big mutated dead rats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Light shone up ahead and they gripped their guns tighter as they rounded the corner. Jadyn first and Marcus followed behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were in a wide cavern with downward sloping columns and open holes that seemed to drop into space below. An entire team of scorn were waiting for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Trickster was in the middle, a wicked gleam in her four eyes as she leveled a rifle at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome minions of Cayde-6!” She opened with a fusillade of void rounds that spun in the air like saws. Both hunters dove for cover as they burned and cut through the stone. Their ghosts quickly phased into thin air to avoid being struck by gunfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sprinted off in hot pursuit as the Trickster dashed away. Marcus broke cover himself, drawing a knife and firing his own hand cannon with his free hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus, she’s getting away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know! Hold on!" He told her. “She’s trying to bait us into a trap. Take it easy. The harder you are to get, the more she’s gonna want you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That sounds like advice to hit on hot women in the City.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn spotted something off with some of the ammo synths that were scattered on the ground. Pausing, she leveled Trust at one and fired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mine was cleverly camouflaged and it popped like a firecracker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s rigged the ammo too.” Solomon said. “Watch your step. Stay together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her, Marcus finally got rid of the last scorn as it tried to swipe at him with a club and he simply sidestepped and pushed it into a hole where it fell out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they pursued the Baron, they found her laying a web of mines disguised with holographic tech as any part of the environment from rocks to the orange etheric spiral plants that grew in abundance around the Tangled Shore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had wandered too close to one as it went off and Jadyn yanked him away in time before it blew, sending red hot bits of shrapnel everywhere. Thankfully, neither of them were seriously harmed, save for him having a couple glowing slivers in his black undersuit. Onyx was quick to heal him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded his thanks and they came across a more open space, this one large enough to see the outside with a modified scorn skiff parked along the edge of a concrete dock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn spotted another one of those ugly misshapen fallen that shot lightning out of their palms. Its typical bestial instinct had taken over and the gait became more aggressive as it raised its palms, firing quick velocity bursts. Marcus cursed out loud as he dodged to the left to narrowly avoid getting hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bloody hell, what is that thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re called abominations.” Jadyn said, a little breathless herself. “Really nasty. Stay back and hit that brass stump thing on its head. That’s its weak point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks like an ogre.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although he liked the more open ground, it was the perfect spot for him to set up his sniper rifle at the side and pick off the enemies. Marcus sighted through the Long Shadow’s Rex scope, centering the crosshairs on the abomination’s cap at where a fallen neck would be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fired, the bullet striking it dead center and gaped in disbelief when the creature appeared to shake off the high caliber slug. Not stopping, he fired three more until the metal snapped open, causing a plume of dark ether to escape violently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The hell, those things bloody bulletproof?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn resisted the urge to laugh at his joke as she jumped up in the air. A group of scorn had seen her break cover and focused their fire up. She grunted as the bolts splashed against her armor before forming fistfuls of flaming knives and casting a blade barrage to incinerate a number of them. Then they took out the rest of them together with combined fire from their hand cannons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was still sniping, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his partner as she gracefully spun and rained down a hailstorm that was all but escapable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another reminder that she was just as beautiful when enraged as when compassionate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Trickster had gone through a door and sealed it shut. And they were both sure that no amount of firepower from their guns was going to make a dent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll have to blast our way through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Engram.” Jadyn had seen a small stash from when they had first come in. “I bet that will be enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t disagree and together, they found the pile next to the parked skiff. She didn’t want to know what kind of chaos it would cause when they made their way back to civilian settlements like the City or the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The timers had already been activated by the motion sensors, so the two of them hurried back, cradling an unstable explosive in their arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both nodded to each other and tossed them at the door together. The detonation shook their teeth and blasted the doorframe enough that it was warped, but the damn thing was still standing strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus and Jadyn fired their wires around the edges, grasping on and pulling. The heavy metal screeched and budged slightly before finally coming loose, slamming on the ground with a heavy thud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not too shabby.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They found themselves down a long corridor, to a large blue room that had waving hills of rock and sand with metal pillars. Marcus looked around, seeing piles of rather useless trinkets and things that gleamed dimly in the glowing light.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Huh, seems like the Trickster likes shiny stuff.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of smoke caught their eyes as the Baron herself materialized in front of them. She grinned and cackled loudly, putting the guardians on edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They want revenge?! Yes, yes! We deserve it!” She pulled out a purple ammo synth. “Here is some ammo for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was aware of it being a fake and they both dove out of the way before an explosion rocked the room. She fired her shotgun, catching the fallen in the side, but she had smartly retreated as Marcus had lunged to attack at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t catch meeeee!” She mocked them both. “You too much fun! More fun than Cayde!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, I’m getting pissed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to form a plan.” Solomon said. “The Trickster can’t outwit you both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy for you to say.” They heard Marcus fighting and by the sounds of it, more scorn had arrived to their leader’s aid. “But if she’s busy and distracted, there’s nothing in her bag of flunkies without some preparation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we make her desperate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I hope Marcus can hold out for that long.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jadyn snuck around the side, grabbing her heavy weapon, the exotic tier fusion rifle called Sleeper Simulant. The powerful laser could cut through heavy armor, concrete, flesh or clothing with relative ease. Only downside was its long charge time and the fact its charges were difficult to come by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two other scorn came to confront her, but she had already pulled the trigger on Sleeper to incinerate them with a red laser beam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ arc staff crackled around the corner and she could hear him grunting as he finally notched a score on the Baroness. Araskes snarled in fury, her upper arms grabbing and tossing him over her shoulder effortlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had timed it, slamming one end of his spear into a wall, jumping up and over as the trickster had thrown a bomb at him. She kept it up, moving quickly and seldom staying still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn tracked the Trickster, her finger already on the charging trigger. She squeezed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sleeper bucked in her hands as the powerful laser lanced out. Her shot was a hair off, singing through one of her hands. Araskes screeched in pain, whirling around and throwing a volley of buzzsaw rounds in her direction, forcing her back into cover. She used her spare hands to throw more rigged engrams at Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other hunter was ready this time, using his wires to snag one of them and swung it around before rebounding it back. The explosion slammed her into the ground and he used his spare one to wrap firmly around her neck, yanking sharply to keep her pinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now’s our chance! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn leapt out of cover, knives at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But so was the Trickster. Her eyes darted to the emerging hunter and the gleeful expression she had on her face told her that the silver-tongued Baroness still had tricks up her sleeves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like some magic trick, she had more explosive engrams on her person and another was tossed up at her. Jadyn was still going through the motion of lining up the knives at her prone form that she wasn’t able to parry it away. Marcus was focused elsewhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engram exploded, seemingly on a shorter fuse than the others because it knocked Jadyn out of the air the moment she released her deadly salvo. Instead of going down to impale the Trickster in a rain of fire, they soared up into the low ceiling of the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was able to use one of her wires to slow her fall, although it nearly ripped her arm out of her shoulder. More motion caught her eye as the Trickster’s backup arrived, snarling and brandishing their guns angrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then an engram fell on top of the chieftain leading the group, knocking him out of the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She initially thought it was Marcus, who had chucked it to save her. It was disproved as a second and third engram dropped from above.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn looked up, seeing that her knives had burned large holes in the ceiling, which was filled to the brim with </span>
  <em>
    <span>engrams</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It had to be the largest hoard of the things she had ever seen. The Cryptarchy would be going nuts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like a dam that was leaking water, engrams spilled out from the holes made, its increased weight widening several as they began to fall into piles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only seconds before a large hole was torn and engrams of all kinds roared down in an avalanche. The scorn right next to it had been instantly crushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gotta get out of here!” Solomon shouted, barely audible over the roar of the downpour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had the same idea and the two hunters bolted to the exit. A snarl behind told them that the Trickster was right on their heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entrance was still open as they sprinted through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The door!” Marcus shouted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together they fired their grapple wires onto the thick steel slab and flung it back at the entrance. Araskes was right on them before her four eyes went wide with surprise. The door struck her on the knees, knocking her right back into the room which was rapidly being buried in an engram-alanche.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunters watched her rise back up on her feet before another dozen or so engrams had struck her in the head and back. She let out an agonizing scream before her entire figure was covered in the heavy objects as they continued to fall and fill the room with no end in sight. Then the roar petered out, replaced by the occasional tapping of their metallic surfaces. Jadyn and Marcus weren’t sure if the reservoir up top was completely empty or what. They stood side by side, staring ahead...not even sure what had just happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally he spoke. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded. “Yeah. You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way anyone could have survived inside. Still, the hunters lingered around with their weapons at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus walked up to a section, sticking his knife in between a couple and trying to pry it free. He grunted, the entire thing wouldn’t budge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way the Trickster would be able to get out of that without staying buried.” Onyx said. “Even if she survived.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t want to take chances.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stepped forward. “Solomon has our camera footage. I think Spider would be agreeing that she’s gone for good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” He sighed. “Let’s get going then. Next time, give me a warning you’re about to bring the ceiling down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither of us knew what was up there.” She pointed out. “And I was aiming for the Trickster. I...just.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just got caught off guard.” <em>I really shouldn't tell him this. He'll find some use to antagonize me again.</em> She really didn’t mean to endanger either of them, but once the engrams started falling from the ceiling like massive deadly hailstones, it was all a fight or flight response. Better to let their quarry get away and live to fight again than try to make things worse by being buried to share Araskes’ grim fate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than yell at her like she was half expecting, Marcus simply nodded. “We’re alive. The Trickster is dead. We stopped potentially dangerous things from going into the City. I think we accomplished more than what we came here for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn took one last glance as Marcus led her to the exit.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We stopped a laundering operation, killed one of Cayde’s killers. And we did it together.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardian.” Solomon started. “I know what you’re thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About what we did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No about Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually no I’m not thinking about him right at this moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah fair enough. Well back to business I suppose.” Her ghost made a nervous laugh. “We’ve scratched one baron off our list. Seven left and then Uldren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then Uldren.” Jadyn’s eyes darkened and she bared her teeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was only going to be a matter of time before the barrel of her gun would be pointed at his forehead.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Yaviks, the Rider</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, Brav here to bring another Baron hunt and epic chapter. This one took a long time to hammer out, but I'm pleased at where it's taking the story. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Spider laughed as Solomon showed the footage, his large belly shaking as his eyes were clouded with mirth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” He let out a loud wheeze. “Delicious irony at its finest has been served! Buried right under her childish hoard of useless trinkets! The Trickster’s death along with her envoys is a momentous change and some good news! She was bad for business! Always was and always would.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gestured to Shank, who wordlessly laid out a duffel bag that clinked of glimmer. Jadyn knelt down and opened the zipper, seeing a healthy amount of the programmable matter and currency. But there were also a series of other materials too, jars of alkane dust, dusklight crystals, phaseglass needles and the real prize that had caught her eye; a bundle of dark purple legendary shards and an enhancement core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She resisted the urge to celebrate despite the obvious value of the reward. This wasn’t like the Crucible where people were as cheerful as you. She was here to do business on her own quest of self-fulfillment and closure.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no telling what this stuff could buy in the Bazaar or the City Markets.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s one Baron down.” Spider added. “Seven remain. And before long, you’re gonna make a name for yourself out here. Remember that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn did heed his words, but she couldn’t help the lustful feeling of how satisfying it had been to serve proper retribution. It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flames of vengeance were still burning fiercely in her belly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is your mate not accompanying you this time?” Spider asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to rebuke him for implying that Marcus was “with” her, but she held her tongue. Shank looked as if she were scoffing, but had gone back to working on her tablet. The notion of everyone trying to put them together was starting to get stale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He had other things to attend to.” Truthfully, Marcus had gotten word that the supplies Ailsa had sent them from Reefedge City were arriving shortly and had gone to the port to receive them. So as he busied himself with that, Jadyn saw to return to Spider and see what their next move would end up being.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah shame.” Spider twirled the dead ghost he often fidgeted with in his hands. “I see an opportunity with business now that the Trickster is done conning everyone. Since this is also the Rider’s territory, you should also take a look and see if she’s in town. I’ve got word of some of my goods arriving on a shipment out along the port in the Desecrated Outlook in the northwest section. The Rider and her gang love to raid the docks, burning and stealing whatever they can find. And something tells me she’s going to jump at the chance to do it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Desecrated Outlook?” Solomon said privately to her. “That’s where Marcus was heading to get our things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already know what I’m going to say.” Spider chuckled. “And it’s also likely the best chance you’ll have at catching the Rider. Better get going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn turned to leave, but stopped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I feel like I forgot something.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw the board of Uldren and the Scorn Barons off to the right of Spider’s throne. All in neatly arranged yellowed posters of their wanted information from the Prison of Elders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn summoned a single knife and threw it at the board, the action startling Spider and Shank. The two guards raised their spears in alarm. With a thud, the knife had embedded itself straight through the one that had the Trickster and her description.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She expected outright hostility from the bodyguards, but Spider laughed while holding up a hand for them to stand down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you kid. You got that spunk nailed down. Sure you don’t have a nickname associated with fire or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to snort and rolled her eyes behind her helmet as she shook her head. “I’ll be leaving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah I do...and I hate it. Hot stuff. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And it had a triple meaning from her solar Light discipline, fiery personality and model-like looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eliksni kingpin watched her go and turned to Shank. “See? Having a guardian friend has its benefits. And you said I was making a mistake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His assistant paused before giving an indifferent shrug before returning to her tablet.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“The Rider has multiple garages around the Tangled Shore.” Solomon said as Jadyn ventured outside Spider’s safehouse. “She always keeps her pikes there for upgrades and modifications.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s kind of like Marcus. But with pikes instead of guns.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He marked a spot on her HUD in a cluster of buildings at the far end. “Spider’s done a miraculous job of laying low with a dangerous Scorn Baron changing her pikes this close to his territory. This is the spot he pointed out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn agreed to take a look, so they made their way across the dusty ground while stowing her weapons. It wouldn’t do good to draw attention to herself if she was carrying anything unholstered. Around here, it meant someone was itching for a fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The building wasn’t impressive by any means with the metallic ovoid architecture typical of fallen. A yellow forked symbol was spray painted on the garage distinctly as a marking of territory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn interpreted it as a “keep out” sign.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door was unlocked, so she knelt down to grab the handle and lift it up smoothly. The Scorn likely didn’t have to worry about anyone coming in to steal their items since they were already known for their bloodthirsty and violent disposition. Anyone who did cross their path would meet a swift and painful retribution.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few stalkers were milling around inside, turning around with surprised screeches as she threw open the door. With the graffiti painted on the outside, they were likely never expecting someone to act so brazen to literally kick it down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn snapped Trust to her sights, calmly shooting each one in the head. The entire sequence lasted just a couple of seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least they’re neat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And they were. The garage had four sections, a pike in each that was separated by workbenches, tools and parts. Each section had a tall metal stand with chains that could wrap around a pike’s chassis and lift it up for more direct maintenance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fallen were longtime scavengers, marauders and pirates and the armed hoverbikes they rode were just as iconic as servitors, bloodlust and their squeaks associated with them. Slightly larger than a typical guardian's sparrow; pikes slightly resembled the fish native to Earth that had the same name; narrow fronts and long fins in the back. They often traveled in groups of three or four, using their numbers and speed to confound foes and overwhelm them. Jadyn had dealt with pike gangs before when they preyed on other vehicles and travelers commuting between the City and other sections of the EDZ.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Typically they had twin arc repeater cannons to deliver rapid suppression fire...or they could be combined with the fire from others to bring down much larger enemies. Their engines were also equipped with auxiliary thrusters to provide able dodging and omnidirectional moving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Scorn have modified their pikes even more than what we typically see out there.” Solomon flew to one. “Void shielding prototypes and cannons too. Some serious hardware. Most houses don’t even permit this stuff much less produce it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They don’t seem like the kind to play by the book at all.” Jadyn pointed out. “The Trickster with her exploding engrams with nails and other nasty bits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s say we take it for a spin?” She went over to the bike that wasn’t tied down or taken apart. “They leave the keys in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sadly I don’t know if I’m good at hacking systems like this. You’ll need to help me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s fine. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn swung her leg over the pike’s saddle, feeling her feet lock into the footholds. The handles were out at the edges of the vehicle’s armored front and the throttle was gunned by twisting the handlebars...almost like the motorcycles Tex Mechanica made. The booster engine was activated by buttons on the far side, however doing it meant taking the guns offline.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I mean fallen tech is known to be intuitive and imitative.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The scorn pike was similar to the standard, except having thicker crude armor and part of her glove snagged on something. She glanced up to see that the armored front was lined with barbed blades that slanted along the side, serving as an aid to aerodynamics and as a ram.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just riding on the side of something else like a wall or another vehicle would gouge a gaping wound in its side, like the pike fish strafing a wounded prey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike what she had said earlier, a pike’s engine could be activated by simultaneous twisting of a pair of handles close to where she had her chest. Thankfully it was the two armed docked dregs that often piloted the vehicles, so the design ended up being somewhat comfortable for a human driver. Tex Mechanica’s motorcycles had highbars, reaching up. Pikes were closer to traditional sparrows in design. The rider would be partially leaning forward against the frame for a more streamlined performance and the ability to lean to one side or the other for sharp turns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn realized it wasn’t quite tuned to what she was normally used to when riding pikes. Easing on the throttle, she was thrown back as the engines strained and the entire vehicle lurched forward. The rear engines whined loudly and belched a dark brown acrid smoke in her wake.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I never would’ve thought pikes are so hard to drive.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on a second.” Solomon said. “It’s almost like it’s biometrically calibrated. Give me a moment to stabilize it to your preference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn set it to idle, noticing that the people around them were shutting their doors and windowsills when they sensed her presence. It likely wasn’t so much a guardian, rather the scorn pike. They all knew the sound it made and it usually spelled trouble and chaos whenever one was heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I get this is a lawless and harsh place, but nobody deserves to be looking over their shoulder all the time. Not like this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon let out a grunt of frustration. “Ugh, it’s being more difficult than I thought. Try giving it a boost so I can gauge the engines. Hope your breakfast has digested by now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope it has. I’m not in the mood to regurgitate protein wheatmeal rations.” She could still feel its chalky whey taste at the roof of her mouth. They weren’t the most appetizing in appearance, smell, texture or taste, but they provided sustenance and were surprisingly hearty, able to keep her full for quite a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn gunned the throttle, feeling the pike’s engine sputter in protest, now more prepared for its erratic engine pulses. The pike bucked as if it were trying to throw her off like a bronco and she tightened her grip on the handles and kept her own weight centered on the saddle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before long, its rambunctiousness had settled down and she sighed with relief, now able to move, steer and boost at her will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll have to do the same with the weapons.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn moved off to a remote section in a tunnel, toggling the twin repeater cannons on either side of the armored front. Instead of the faster rapid-fire of arc bolts, the Scorn had modified them to shoot slower with void energy. She centered its targeting system on a set of rocks in the middle of the road and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Initially, the void blasts sprayed out like a wildly inaccurate pipe gun, but as Solomon worked to tune it to Jadyn’s signature, the guns focused more ahead, blackening the rock targets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I think we’re good. Now let’s ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeehaw!” Jadyn raised a hand, sticking out her pinkie and index finger. “I’m a badass biker chick!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Solomon said proudly. “Yes you are. And I love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Now we have to go intercept the Rider before she raids the freighter.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we let Marcus know we’re heading his way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Jadyn said. “We can take care of this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn.” Solomon started. “I don’t know if this is the time to prove anything to so speak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can do this. We don’t need his help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’re just proving my point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes and gunned the throttle. “I’m not trying to prove anything. I don’t trust anyone else with our supplies...and besides, it’s a Baron that rides a pike. We’re just as good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon sounded like he wanted to further argue, but he had learned from his guardian from being with her for so long that she often refused to change her mind. Sometimes she just had to make the mistakes herself to figure things out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Petra’s file says Cayde caught the Rider the first time by beating her in a race. There’s Prison of Elders footage of her swearing revenge on him...and you...you know the rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These pikes have a very specific exhaust signature. The Rider’s gang must be nearby since I’m seeing scans of them all over. They’re headed to the port!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then let’s catch them. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn revved the engine and shot onto the road, not wanting to miss the action.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The port was at the edge of the Tangled Shore, yet an important area since a handful of the Reef’s border towns lined the edge just on the other side of the mountain range that separated it from Awoken territory. It was heavily guarded as well, with Awoken Corsairs, their fiercest warriors having a post to protect and ensure freight was imported and exported without being harassed by the marauders and pirates that plagued the land.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guardians were a rare sight, even during the Reef Wars and the rise of Skolas the Rabid. With their visits diminishing before the Red War had happened, the Tangled Shore went from bad to worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it wasn’t likely to be better. It wasn’t any “neutral” ground, instead being a wild badlands where control and territory were decided by the multitude of the syndicates and triads that had made their presence known. Territory was won by blood, alliances and bribery. Everything was open game, from the human, awoken, fallen and cabal groups that constantly warred or dealt with one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet somehow the Reef tolerated it. Either they didn’t care or as long as they didn’t harm their interests. It must’ve brought a lot of revenue and business to the Awoken anyway and the Dasas had previously been one of the most profound triads that controlled the shipping business before the Taken War had wiped them out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was until the Shore started getting an infestation of Hive...who were as unreasonable as any other. The Scorn arriving some years later made it clear that the gangs would never have full control despite all the alliances made with one another and attempts to negotiate a ceasefire...it always ended in violence between those two factions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a hulk of a ruined ship that Marcus had seen even when he was a ways out from arriving. The port was sheltered underneath in a clever position to protect it from the winds that often buffeted ships moving through this area. There was also two long bulbous metal rails with cars on them that provided fast and unmanned transport to and from settlements...not unlike the ones used to move captive pods in the Prison of Elders. He had no need to bring the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe </span>
  </em>
  <span>here since Onyx would simply mark the container that was for them and transmat it into her storage to distribute their stuff between them later.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And hopefully the weapon parts I requisitioned too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The grounds had a couple of warehouses on either side of the landing pad and docking clamps for larger ships. A ten foot high fence woven of metal and barbed wire surrounded the entire perimeter. It was evident that the Awoken knew the type of their customer base that circulated goods through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus dismounted his sparrow at the entrance and checked in at the front, faced by several Corsairs. They were tall awoken women that carried sturdy-looking compound bows and a Vestian Dynasty sidearm in their holster. Each one had a semi-covered helmet that obscured their eyes and mouths, but left their noses exposed. He wondered if the cold weather bothered them. Wearing the latest thermal hunter gear and he was freezing his butt off. These Corsairs wore tight suits with armor covering vital areas such as joints and vital organs. Each one was trim with an athletic build.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If this was the City, they would’ve passed for supermodels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa had put him or Jadyn as the recipient of their specific container and even paid the fee. She had refused any of his own offers to at least cover part of the glimmer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two can pay me back by having that quality time together.” She had messaged him through her ghost Gyro.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Quality time...does she even know I’m ready to cut my own tongue out or do something crazy because I’m here with Jadyn by myself. Yes, she’s amazing, but so...ugh...I can’t even find a damn word to describe her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Corsair gestured to him to remove his helmet, holding a device in her hand. As he did, she swept it up and down until it had a full scan of his biometric identity. Anyone who was reserving a shipment out or receiving would not be allowed to remain on the premises when a ship arriving or departing was imminent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded in approval, making a quiet hum. “That big white ball knows how to pick them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa’s own words echoed in his head as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Careful about those Corsairs. Some can be big flirts.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had forgotten that females were moreso the “dominant” sex in Awoken society.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is the shipment here already?” He asked as they led him into the compound and handed him off to freight handlers. A medium-sized hauler was parked at the landing pad, looking like it were kitbashed from ancient hardware. The two Corsairs that escorted him in stayed by his side, as protocol in case something ended up happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The harbormaster was another awoken, a man...who didn’t look too particularly pleased his client was a guardian. He led Marcus and the Corsairs through some of the stacked shipping containers until pausing and going around the end of one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lock was undone and the door swung open, revealing boxes of ammo synths, supplies and rations. It only took up one small section of the container. Onyx phased out, sweeping all of it with her beam before it all dissolved in a flash of light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He signed for the shipment and turned to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that’s when the shipping container off to their left exploded.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Bingo.” Jadyn’s eyes narrowed as she spotted nearly a dozen of the identical Scorn pikes dart out from a multitude of hiding places just down the road from the port. Each one belched the same acrid smoke her pike did. As she scanned them all, her gaze centered on one of them that looked a bit more bulked up than the others. As it boosted, she could see its front erupt in a fiery aura running along the side blades. There was a banner with the Scorn sigil attached to the rear fin.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There she is.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn steered onto the road, easing the throttle up as she watched the group of pikes swarm the front gates as if they were a school of piranhas. The shipyard was ready as Awoken Corsairs appeared up on posts above ground, drawing their bows and firing arrows. Many of them missed since the pike gang was skitting out of effective range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as a rail transport began moving out from the port...and the Rider’s gang began to follow it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx just pinged me.” Solomon said as she raced after the scorn. “They’ve got the supplies. Marcus asks if you need help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a coincidence I’m right outside.” Jadyn remarked dryly. She was about to say that she had it under control when a massive thunderous detonation threw a ball of smoke into the sky, shaking the ground underneath her pike like an earthquake. Some of the Corsairs that were at the top had been jostled and one fell from her post to the ground. She stopped and gaped at it as the beginnings of a fire began to ignite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn boosted the pike and parked it right next to the wounded woman who was clutching her stomach and writing in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wheezed and coughed but nodded. Jadyn was amazed to see that she wasn’t bleeding or having any bones broken. If anything; she was just winded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get you inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn, the Rider’s going after the transport.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we need to get going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wanted to agree, but there were people dying here. They’d have another chance to catch the Rider and if anything, it only fueled her desire for revenge if she openly attacked awoken like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gently set the injured Corsair down in the main office area where other dockworkers and Corsair guards were either sitting just as wounded or tending to those that were. No sign of Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” She ran outside, yelling his name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rounding the corner, she gasped when seeing that the blast’s center was just on the other side of the container where Marcus lay next to three scorched bodies that were barely recognizable. A massive rod had embedded itself right in his loin area and leaked dark crimson blood. There was a flash of light as Onyx disengaged her shell, exposing her core to shower his body in Light and he stirred with a wheeze for air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” She ran right over to his side, kneeling over him. “Marcus are you okay?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Half expecting a sarcastic answer about being impaled by a spike, she grabbed it as his hands wrapped around the base and they both nodded to one another before tugging sharply. Thankfully it wasn’t buried too deep, but he still cried out sharply and cursed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What...what did I say about warning me?” He breathed, slowly resuming to normal as Onyx flew around his wound to quickly stitch it closed. Marcus managed to grab her outstretched hand as she hauled him to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chin up buddy.” She put her hands on her hips and pouted at him. “You better watch yourself, you’re zero for two in me having to come save your ass when you’re stabbed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Cosmodrome. Of course she wouldn’t let me live that one down.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know...there’s gonna be a time where I pull something out of you...and you won’t like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither had time to digest that before their ghosts cleared their throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you two are done bickering again, let’s not forget the Rider is getting away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sprinted back to her pike, practically throwing herself on the saddle and gunning the engine before she even settled. Marcus was behind her, summoning his sparrow to race after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re talking to the Rider on encrypted comms.” Solomon said. “Whatever’s on that transport...they want it badly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is our chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wished she had her sparrow since they’d been able to cut the chase time down significantly. A pike wasn’t as maneuverable and she lost ground against Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t all bad. Up ahead, they could see the transport as it moved idly along the rail that ran alongside the road. The Rider and her gang were trailing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They’ve had the perfect opportunity to board and steal its cargo. Why haven’t they?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither hunter wanted to question the same thing that had fallen into their lap. The scorn must’ve sensed them approaching as a trio of pikes broke off from the pack, turning around fully and moving to intercept.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guardians were ready. Jadyn thumbed off the thrusters and pulled the triggers. A river of void energy erupted from the pike’s front, crossing over to their attackers. The one in the center was caught in the middle, vehicle ripped apart by the bolts as it buckled with explosions blossoming on its armored front. While it protected it from small arms fire, the void cannons were significantly more powerful and sustained fire was more than enough to tear through its hulk. The vehicle exploded in a ball of fire and cartwheeled to the side of the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of her, Marcus had taken the wheel of his sparrow with his left, using his free right arm to raise a submachine gun and spray the other two with rounds. Jadyn boosted to catch up with him and fired the void guns again, focusing their shots onto both until they too met a similar fate to the first one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, the pikes that intercepted them were merely delaying them. The Rider’s gang had finally pulled alongside the transport to extract the containers, however she had seen the two hunters approaching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing a bunch of objects get scattered from her pike bouncing along the ground told him everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Evasive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rolled their vehicles to the side as the scorn mines detonated where they once were. The Rider cackled with laughter, still releasing more from the aft section of her pike.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was able to deftly dodge them all and gain ground, however Jadyn’s own vehicle was larger and heavier as it struggled to keep up. One of the pikes had decided to try and attack her as well. She was still in the midst of using the accelerator, but instead steered to its side. The blades front scraped the other side, sparks dancing in between as she hugged her left leg as close to herself as possible so it wouldn’t get snagged. A few of the sparks from grating metal combusted once it hit the engine and its driver let out an agonized scream as it spiraled out of control into the side of the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn heard a rumble of engines and glanced up to see a fallen skiff with the Scorn sigil emblazoned on its side. The Rider’s escape was here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re gonna use the skiff to haul away the cargo!” Solomon cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus saw it too. He was nearly caught up to the transport and the Rider herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you take the wheel for a second?” She asked her ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Me?! How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bramble has an entire manual on how to drive pikes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! FALLEN pikes! Not scorn ones!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least try for me.” Jadyn summoned her heavy weapon in her hands. “I’m gonna give them a reason that this heist isn’t worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon has seen her as she had let go of the handebars. “Jadyn, are you nuts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. No.” She sighted the engine of the skiff in the scope of her Sleeper Simulant. “Maybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon made an irritating noise before he used the remote controls to steady her pike. The aim bobbed in the sight before she steadied it along the front of the chassis while stooping down to keep it level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn squeezes the trigger; feeling Sleeper shudder and spin up before a red hot laser lanced out from the oblique barrel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The weapon was incredibly powerful and she smiled in satisfaction as flames burst from one of the engines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the skiff got a shot off too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Solomon was too preoccupied in keeping the vehicle steady to evade it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was blown off her ride as the unmanned hoverbike tumbled in an explosion of its own. Adrenaline spiked in her veins as she hit the ground, tumbling across the road with a grunt. Apparently hers too had the scorn mines stored in its aft and it amplified the explosion that threw her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn!” Marcus cried, looking back and then in front. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” She moaned, finally coming to a stop at the beginning of where the terrain got rocky. “I’m okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait a second. This is perfect.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus, can you try to get the transport to go the other way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The transport! I have an idea and can set up a trap, but we need to lure the Rider backwards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because if you can’t, then you’re the only one who can take her out.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>What in the Traveler’s name could she possibly be coming up with? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marcus thought you himself as he avoided the toxic fumes that the Rider had left behind. She was doing an impressive job trying to throw himself off her trail in spite of losing several of her lackeys and extraction skiff.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Get on the transport...get it to go in the opposite direction. She talks like it’s as easy as flipping a switch.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Up ahead there was a stretch where the railing was flush with the road, so he kept his sparrow on the edge timing it as it closed closer to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The transport finally was close enough to where he could reach out and touch it. His fingers hooked onto a ladder structure and he hauled himself up just as Onyx stored his sparrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay...now what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There should be a switch to throw that will send the transport going on the opposite direction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! That easy?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe it. This girl is crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Onyx sounded like she was very much enjoying her guardian’s irritation. “Just like how you think about her all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can we not do this now? I’m trying to kill a Baron here for Traveler’s sake!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing on a rapidly moving vehicle wasn’t easy. The car shuddered and swayed as Marcus cling to its side and made his way around the containers to the unmanned controls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here comes the parade.” He drew his VEIST submachine gun, a Red Mamba and sprayed the top as a handful of raider class scorn swarmed the top. They returned fire with their rifles, but he managed to stay in cover thanks to being down below. One of them peered over to try and get a bead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was ready, lunging out to grab its foot and yanking it down towards the open space where it disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go!” He brought out Onyx once they reached the control panel at its front. “I’ll hold them off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving her to her work, he jumped up top, summoning his Light to form an arc staff. He slashed and spun it deftly, cutting his attackers down and dissolving them into disintegrating lightning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They might not have to worry about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until the Rider herself caught him off guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus yelped in surprise as he saw her quickly find another rock and accelerate towards it. It took him half a second to realize what she was about to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yaviks remained airborne, the front of her ride covered in a blazing aura as she bounced off the transport’s top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus dodged to the side just in time to avoid being splattered and lashed out with his staff. He couldn’t what he hit something, but saw it was enough for the Baroness to bail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s dance ugly.” He flashed a similar grin to the Rider and charged in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yaviks hissed at him, brandishing two daggers that he parried easily. The staff cutting through them without pause. She drew a pair of pistols on her belt, opening fire at him as his own supercharge expired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Red Mamba was out again and he sprayed more rounds in her direction to keep her pinned. He was glad she took the hint and remained behind cover. If he couldn’t kill her here, hopefully whatever Jadyn had planned would. Especially if it involved reversing the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx? I’m running out of options here.” Marcus fired his wire into the side of the car to avoid a pair of thrown grenades and swung around to the other side. Some of his rounds raked her chest, but her armor held and she retaliated with another barrage of her dual pistols.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on tight!” He heard his ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing what was coming, he anchored himself to the side, waiting for the inevitable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire car lurched to a halt and for a moment, he had thought he might get dislodged. Yaviks stumbled on the top and he used the opportunity to lunge up, knife in hand and ready to slit the Baron’s throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx reversed the car and it gunned in the opposite direction, blasting a bone chilling gust in his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It also saved Yavik’s life. The blade went into the side of the car, punching through its thin skin. She took the advantage and kicked the hunter off.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This really isn’t a good spot for my sniper either. Or my grenade launcher.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yaviks hit something on her arm and moments later, he saw her custom pike driving alongside the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How are these guys savage undead things yet have sophisticated stuff like this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yaviks snarled at him, flashing a grin through salvia dripping teeth before jumping back on top of her ride and taking off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jadyn, she’s coming your way!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>She saw her coming. Heard before a visual. As soon as Marcus had given her a heads up, she put her plan into action.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had only been just a few minutes since Marcus had been in hot pursuit, but after the multiple rock formations had been spotted after her own pike got destroyed, she found it as the perfect place to set up an ambush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For this, she needed her grapple wires. After working with them for a while, she found them to be strong and thin, perfect for their usual maneuvering or grabbing objects out of reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perfect for being nearly invisible if someone was riding at high speeds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scavenged through the other pikes destroyed, finding unused mines that hadn’t went off when she and Marcus destroyed them. Those would be set to trigger and funnel the Rider into the real trap. There was even one that had been flipped over but still functioning. Luckily she was able to calibrate it easily with Solomon’s help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon Marcus.” She whispered. Sitting in the corner and waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long before she heard the rumble of the rail car and saw its illuminated lights as it sped down the rail. Trailing it was the putrid black smoke left behind by the Rider’s pike.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’re ready for whatever you’ve got in mind!” Marcus shouted. “Because we’re here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I have no idea if this is going to work.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He had slowed down significantly while approaching, but the Rider edged closer, clearly looking for another chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t try it!” Marcus taunted, shaking his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t seem to heed his warning, so he pointed two fingers at Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other hunter rocketed out of the cave on her replacement pike, intent on slamming into Yaviks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, the Baroness was able to sense her presence, turning around and grinning right back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What she didn’t expect was that her instinct to use her powerful boost on her modified pike was exactly what the guardian wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yaviks screeched as she activated her engine thrusters to attempt to ram Jadyn. The hunter dodged to the side, causing the scorn to run straight into the minefield she had set up. As the explosions blossomed across the field, the Rider kept her acceleration in an attempt to dodge the trap she had just spring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right as it made contact with the tightly string grapple wires that Jadyn had strung between two of the strongest rock pillar formations. Going at such quick speeds and awareness, she never sensed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The metal wires effortlessly shredded Yavik’s modified pike as if it were slicing a block of cheese. It screeched loudly, tearing metal from its chassis as the makeshift garrotes eviscerated Yaviks on the spot. A couple of mines stored inside had detonated, the noise rolling across the open plains before the howling winds took over after a brief silence. Shrapnel blew everywhere and bits of the pike tumbled into the ground, still smoldering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn realized that she was holding her breath the entire time, but couldn’t help a big grin spreading across her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It worked!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon, I can’t believe we did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh...the Rider’s racing days are over. Guess Cayde’s record is safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We’re doing this. We’re actually doing this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s two Barons down. Six left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six left.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn met back up with Marcus at the port where he had already started to help the survivors clear up the damage. He had just finished with the Corsairs who thanked him and promised to give him a glowing commendation for being a guardian who was in the right place at the right time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hoped I’d be able to do more.” He said quietly as they left. “But I can’t help we’re onto something else too. The bomb used in the blast was the same one in Reefedge when Ailsa and I were on our way to help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was something else too. Ailsa got back to me when I shared this information with her. Says she and Lord Dasa are looking at a rather extremist group known as the Crow’s Voice...a group of rogue ex-Crows who wanted to pardon Uldren from the Prison.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that isn’t all of it. Is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s heart lurched. He didn’t have that same tone of voice he usually had. This time around it was somber and devoid of much emotion...like he was trying to keep his own composure.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When has Marcus ever done that? What made him like this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” She pulled up to his side as they stopped briefly. Her hand reached out to touch his elbow. “If it’s something...you know. You want to talk about...I’m here. I can’t guarantee I’ll understand...but I’ll listen. If you’ll have me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those kids...locked up in that container like rats.” He shook his head as the voice gave away to a dripping anger. “Yeah, I’ll tell you. Not here though. Let’s get back home. I need a shower and some sleep to try and put everything that happened today away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No argument here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Crow's Voice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, we're back to hopefully regular updates and all that. I hope to get this story done because I've already been writing up plot points for Beyond Light!<br/>Before I do get started; this chapter has mentions of non-con &amp; rape. Nothing extremely explicit.<br/>Enjoy everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t feel up to preparing food this time around, so Jadyn took one of the rations from the supply and heated it up in her cabin. He had taken quite a while in his own ship before Solomon informed her he was outside her hatch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was greeted with a gust of wind blowing from the hatch as he stepped inside. Her eyes went wide when she saw that he wasn’t wearing anything other than a pair of jogger pants and a Vanguard issued tanktop. Her skin prickled as the cold nipped at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus! Aren’t you freezing like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” he shook his head. “Not anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She likes her ship warm.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re crazy if you go out in weather dressed like that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m aware. Thanks for the heads up Mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ailsa’s nickname. To be honest, this is probably something she’d be chiding him about too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well the food is ready.” She gestured to the ration packs and produced a pair of reusable plastic forks. “I know you’re probably hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Starving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They settled on her small lounge area with a pop-up coffee table and ate in silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus snuck in a glance, seeing that she had a similar taste to him when it came to off-duty attire. Neither of them were particularly concerned with wearing a specific type of uniform on the Tower and rules were pretty lax. Basically as long as there wasn’t any excessive exposing of an individual’s body, any variety of armor sets while doing business was permitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Off duty; it was almost an odd sight to see that guardians...even the rather buff titans were far less imposing without their armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn does like that exposed kind of thing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was hard not to stare at her sports bra...or her fair skin showing down from her upper thighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They went over their usual business alongside their ghosts. More of the Tangled Shore was combed and gone over on their map infographic. Unlike the previous two Barons they had slain; many of the others were the reclusive type, so reports on them were far fewer, even with the Spider’s help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Hangman’s lair is supposedly close to the Hollowed Lair where we first chased them down. I see a lot of choke points and plenty of spots for ambushes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you think we should go after the Mad Bomber?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “The Hangman’s probably more crucial to the Scorn’s integrity since he supposedly gets the ether from servitors and feeds himself and his fellow Barons. But the Mad Bomber in my opinion is a far bigger threat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon was in agreement. “The Mad Bomber’s reports from Spider and the Awoken match. From the bombing of the Origin Libraries to more than a dozen destruction of Reef military craft. They’ve been frustrated with the minefields that pop up almost on a daily basis that many parts of the Tangled Shore and Reefedge have to be flown around to avoid being caught inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Splinter mines.” Onyx added. “Used to clear asteroids en masse. They’ll also blow devastating holes in any ship that happens to get caught in them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sighed, “And I hate to be the one to ask if Kaniks has his hands on these.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spider’s reports insinuate yes. And his dossier from the Prison of Elders that Petra had sent us cite multiple times that he had rigged bombs and explosives...almost in an overkill just to make sure there was nothing left. Also prone to fits of laughter and insanity like an hyperactive child.” Marcus said and leaned back. “He’s dangerous. We need to be prepared if we’re going after this one. More so than usual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could tell that it worried him. Marcus may be at times hard to read, but it was surprising how many of his quirks had been picked up by her. Furrowing eyebrows, pursed lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He stares at my ass all the time...I know it whenever I have to take point.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rifleman,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want the rifleman.” Jadyn firmly said. He was surprised to see flickers of Solar Light dancing around her wrists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, calm down.” He was aware that one was personal. The reports had said Pirrha fired and killed Sundance, sealing the Hunter Vanguard’s next death as his last. “We’ll get him. I promise. I want him too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s gonna pay,” Jadyn snarled. “They all are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” said Marcus. “Yes they are. But we need a concrete plan before we storm in guns blazing again. They’re gonna have traps laid out for us all over and we need to see if we can gleam anything from their data so we have a better idea of what we’re up against.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The female hunter nodded, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look. Cayde was my friend too.” He reassured her. “I want to put bullets in every one of those people responsible. But we need to do this right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus also would’ve admitted that Jadyn’s eyes flickered with that same passion whenever she was fixated on something and he knew that her stubbornness would persist through until she finally achieved what she wanted to accomplish. Just another thing he admired about her, but it constantly was worrisome that the obsession would eventually come back to bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let Uldren be your white whale.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“White what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A white whale.” Marcus looked up, locking eyes with her. “I can see it in your gaze. White whale is an old term that predates the Golden Age. Heard it from the Cryptarchs when I was getting engrams done. It’s from an old book set on Earth where a captain loses his ship and crew by a big whale that’s white in color. He basically spends the rest of his life chasing this whale, risking his own and his crew’s safety without a second thought to even get a shot at killing it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what, you think I’m going to be this captain in risking everything to kill Prince Uldren?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I do. And I don’t like it at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt her anger flare, the eased tension from before starting to fade. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How can he be so insensitive like this?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You don’t care that our Hunter Vanguard is dead?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do!” His voice rose as he refused to back down. “Again, Cayde was my friend too. Stop thinking I don’t care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well excuse me, all I see is you saying that going after the Rifleman is a bad idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you even seen what he’s capable of? He kills Ghosts. More than just Cayde’s.” Truth be told; Marcus wanted to take a crack at the Baron as well. But he knew better than just blindly going in after him. “Cayde’s cockiness was what got him killed. We can’t make that mistake. Otherwise we’ll end up like him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn seemed to see what he was saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I just don’t want to believe him. Am I turning into that captain from that pre-Golden Age book he’s talking about?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me ask you this, Jadyn.” Marcus leaned over, his light brown eyes looking right into her pale green again. “What if we go after the Rifleman tomorrow and he kills Solomon in the process? Is it worth it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beside her, Solomon made a shuddering sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dammit, I know he’s right...it’s too risky. But the Rifleman deserves to die. I’ll make sure of it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” She said, defeated. “No it’s not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So Cayde did something for you?” Her ghost asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded slowly. “Yeah...he did. Cayde was there for me...and he bailed me out of a really difficult place.” His entire expression darkened and dark eyes wandered to a distant memory. “I almost had to leave the Vanguard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?! Really?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw Jadyn expecting more and sighed, figuring that there was no point in leaving the rest of the elaborate story.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t have to say this Marcus. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His ghost told him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She already knows you two were friends.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s just better if I get it off my chest now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You remember my friend Eric?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn modded. She never met the Titan in person. As the former member of Razoredge died sometime before her resurrection, she had been essentially his “replacement”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had rubbed her off the wrong way more than once and she confided in Ailsa, trying to find out his deal. She had said that it subtly stemmed from Eric. The two had been close like brothers. And after he died, Marcus was never really the same after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was everything to me. A friend, teammate, someone I’d never want to let down. He was my brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus sighed. “Eric had a wife and a daughter. I introduced Penny to him and things took off from there. Linda was born a couple years after their marriage and just barely a kid when she lost her father.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s a story for another time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“After the funeral and Eric being laid to rest, I made sure that Penny and Linda were taken care of. And looked after. Time went on, Penny passed away and Linda had a daughter of her own, raised little Maddy as a single mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Eric’s granddaughter.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed slightly. “Maddy had me wrapped around her finger. It’s a crime that Eric never got to meet her. She was the sweetest, most innocent child I’ve ever come across. Laughed at everything. Optimistic, full of joy. Kind of reminded me what we as guardians are fighting for. So that the children and their children can live happy upstanding lives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as Jadyn wanted him to get to the point, she was already enthralled with the story. This was clearly a difficult subject for Marcus to cover, so she gave him the commanded respect by listening quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just like that; they grew older...and we stay the same. Maddy was an amazing kid. But then things started to fall apart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maddy was also like you in a way. Beautiful, headstrong, smart, confident, sometimes got in over her head. Her mother was trying her best to make sure she was taken care of, but things don’t always go the way you plan. She was raised without a father figure in her life and being that know-it-all teenager and young adult caused a little bit of a rift between the two of them. Despite that, Maddy and Linda still loved each other and still do today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shifted uncomfortably. “One day Linda called me in a panic. She always checked in on Maddy whenever she was off to college on the other side of the City. She never answered after several days and it made her worried sick. I said I’d go and see where she was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you find her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded. “Yeah. She wasn’t the same. Turns out she was hanging around the wrong crowd in college. Got drugged and disoriented. She woke up...no clothes on and one of the guys she had been hanging out with on top of her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t need to finish the sentence for both of them to know what happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found her and other girls that had been dragged into the same situation...all the same. Maddy was never the same after that. She flung herself into my arms and cried. She was only twenty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was silent. Marcus was grim and seemed angered as he was reliving that memory again. To him, Maddy was as close to him as any niece would be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She tested on a rape kit. Found strands of four different guys. I was furious. She begged me not to tell her mother. I still haven’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But what does this have to do with Cayde?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this.” Marcus said, almost as if he was able to read her mind. “You know one of the golden rules as guardians...about using your Light. I broke that rule...of using my Light to intentionally harm City civilians.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn couldn’t help the obvious look of surprise on her face. Violators of said rule often received among the harshest and strictest punishments from the Vanguard. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus broke the rule?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I found where she had been hanging out with these sleazy people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you made them eat your knuckles.” Jadyn finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And a lot of hospital food.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The quip almost made her giggle out loud, but she held herself in check. Wouldn’t be appropriate. Still, there was a smug sense of satisfaction inside that Marcus had meted out justification on a bunch of entitled dirtbags.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made sure each of them understood what would happen next time they even thought about Maddy or any other girl again. But that’s not the part that got me into really big trouble. One of the people who raped her...was a guardian. A warlock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth fell open. “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took justice into my own hands. The Vanguard said it was a “misuse” of my Light to attack and threaten civilians.” Technically they were right. It was definitely a gray area in guardian-civilian relations, one that had been hotly debated ever since the City had been established.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt a lump in her throat. “You were just protecting your family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know how things can be when they get political...and whenever something scandalous surfaces involving a guardian. Needless to say, I had been indefinitely suspended from the Vanguard’s active duty.” He said. “But Cayde. Cayde...he managed to convince the Consensus to overturn it and I was reinstated. Said just that. I was protecting my own. I still wonder if it was even a good idea to accept.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’d do anything for Maddy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it was.” Onyx bobbed her dark shell next to his side. “You’ve helped so many people since. Maddy’s doing amazing thanks to the help she got. And let’s not forget how good of a reputation you’ve built with the Vanguard and a gunsmith since.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I know. Point is...that became my white whale...and Cayde did a lot for me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He suddenly stood up and walked to the hatch. “I can’t talk about this anymore. I’m going to sweep the perimeter before turning in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn watched him leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Say something. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She practically yelled at herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t make him feel like it just went in one ear and out the other!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped, opening the hatch and was about halfway down, but refused to turn around and look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it was hard for you and all. I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t and I hope not either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sucked in a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if you ever want to talk about things...doesn’t matter what. I’m here. I’m here for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t any response from him other than the shuffling footfalls as he made his way off the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn, Solomon and Onyx watched him leave. Marcus’ ghost floated to the entrance and spun around to face them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about all that.” She said solemnly. “It was just a really bad time for him. He was a lot like you in trying to pursue revenge because bad people hurt someone hurt close to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry too.” Jadyn stared down at the ship’s floor, a little ashamed at her outburst earlier. “Dammit. I didn’t know this was something he was so emotional about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s something he’s not proud of and he’s hardly ever talked about it outside of me. You’re actually the first person in the fireteam that he’s opened up about.” Onyx turned around, but Marcus was gone. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be wondering where she was. “Jadyn. He cares about you. It may not seem like it. But he does. A lot more than you think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I just wish there was a time where he wasn’t so infuriating all the time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I better go before he gets even more pissed.” With a twirl of her shell, Onyx took after her guardian to leave Jadyn to her thoughts.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Ailsa Matasan sipped her tea as she flipped through the reports of Marcus’ notes that he had sent back while he and Jadyn were taking on the Rider.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyebrow raised when he was actively complimenting her ingenuity and crafting a well designed snare that put an end to the Rider’s reign of terrorizing the border and the rest of the Shore. News of the Trickster’s demise also reached the ears and she knew that those two particular Baronesses had posed a constant hazard to Reefedge City’s economy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Those two are making progress.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was sure of it. At least on their quest to cut the heads off the Scorn hydra until they caught the biggest fish of them all; Uldren Sov. The other one she was wondering about was their personal relationship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whether it was on strikes, raids or even simple patrols, the two always bickered to the point where some people wondered if they were secretly married. Marcus did a lot, even going out of his way to antagonize her and it didn’t help that she wasn’t one to take things sitting down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ghost Gyro hovered close by, his shell reminiscent of his namesake as the rings spun rapidly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be okay.” He reassured her. “I’m sure of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah until Marcus says something that will make her want to rip out his throat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I imagine they’ll have to start tolerating each other very soon. Otherwise it’s gonna be a long trip.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s already been one. When could things be so simple?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite their tumultuous relationship, Ailsa seemed to be the only one that had sensed a mutual connection between her fellow hunters.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And it all started when I took Jadyn to see our fireteam compete in a Crucible match. Marcus pulled off that impossible hat trick and sealed the win.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa faintly smiled at the memory of watching Jadyn observe the match. And she had that dazzled dreamy and wondrous look on her face at seeing the incredible feat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That day on, she was sure the young hunter had an instant crush on him. Her intuition was right about Jadyn and wrong in thinking Marcus was going to return her feelings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gyro perked up as Ailsa snagged her rifle and departed the Dasa Base hunter wing.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>It had been their most promising lead so far, many scorn-made bombs using materials originating from a warehouse set in Reefedge City’s industrial zone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paid scant attention to the crater from the earlier one and shook her head with frustration especially after hearing the news of the trafficked awoken victims that Marcus had discovered too late to save.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>More bombs. Same one used by the Crow’s Voice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She joined a group of tall Corsairs stacked at the side of one warehouse where they suspected the bomb materials were being assembled. Each one carried a large assault rifle and the standard issue Vestian Dynasty handgun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One awoken male was among them, clad in sweeping gold and gray armor. His skin was a pale blue with neatly slicked back dark hair. He gazed at Ailsa with patient pale yellow eyes. Like most young awoken men, he was considered ruggedly attractive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jolyon Till was widely famous among the Reef’s Crows who served as the awoken’s spies and intelligence agents. It was considered an open secret with Till being Uldren’s longtime companion. It was at the point where some of their better exploits were set as a basis for different exercises in combat academy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Uldren; Jolyon didn’t harbor the same resentment to guardians and gave Ailsa a curt nod. There was no time or need for a formal greeting, guardian or not. He launched straight into business as a small winged drone swooped down to land on his arm as a perch before folding itself onto his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crow drone was a special automated partner to each Crow with a multitude of gadgets and features to make it from a second pair of eyes to an armament of small caliber bullets and mini-swarm rockets for engaging targets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crows used this warehouse as a safehouse from time to time. In the wake of the Taken War, it went dark and I haven’t been able to determine its purpose since Petra took control again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa readied her rifle. “What are we expecting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I only managed a handful of Uldren’s records before he...disappeared. The Crow’s Voice was unknown even to me as a group of agents who reported directly to him rather than the chief of intelligence ops. Basically bypassed the chain of command with the purpose of his own ambitions.” His face fell. “Even I didn’t know that he would do all of this to his own people. Uldren made sure that his followers couldn’t track his moves whenever he made them. The Crow’s Voice has roughly a dozen operatives, so it could be that many, less or more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jolyon couldn’t believe they were potentially going after their own. People he had studied and worked with. It didn’t feel right.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It never did.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And it was not going to be the last time he would be going after a rogue awoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two of the Corsairs were setting up a circular breaching charge onto the main door as the others stacked up behind. Jolyon racked his rifle and stood to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bomb triggered, blasting open the door and forcing through a wave of suppressive void energy that would stagger or disorient foes on the other end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa was the first inside, followed by Jolyon and the Corsairs as they all shouted their arrival, demanding all in the room to surrender. The warehouse had a hollow open top with varying sized metal containers stored and stacked inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, Jolyon counted nine Crows in total. Each one glanced up, eyes widening to see their commanding officer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then a tenth one appeared, previously uncounted for. He had drawn an assault rifle and opened fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All hell broke loose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Corsairs took a stitching of bullets to the chest and collapsed in a heap as the rest scattered for cover among the crates. Jolyon raised his rifle, laying down a line of suppressive fire as another two Corsairs ran out to drag back their hit comrade behind cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gunfire rattled off the walls of the building along with muzzle flashes. Apparently they hadn’t been caught off guard as expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jolyon lost track of Ailsa as soon as the bullets started flying and had to jump to the side as he was rushed by one of the other Crows. The man had a deranged look in shiny glazed eyes as he swiped with the gilded talon dagger each one was outfitted with. The tip of the blade glanced off his armor as he parried the blow, driving his elbow into the Crow’s face. His opponent let out a yelp of pain as blood spurted from his nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jolyon threw him against another container, hitting him in the head again with the butt of his rifle, knocking the man out cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shot sliced through the air and he saw another Crow fall, a large arrow piercing his shoulder. Glancing upwards, he saw that Ailsa had climbed onto the upper walkways and firmly aimed a bow with a perfect line of sight while remaining hidden from most gunfire. The Crows had maintained much of their focus on the Corsairs at ground level and failed to look up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as Jolyon didn’t want to kill the people he worked and fought alongside, their act of attacking civilians couldn’t go unpunished. Not like this when everything was at stake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He signaled the Corsairs to move forward while suppressing again. The rogue operatives had a limited supply of ammo. They still had reinforcements on standby if needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that also meant more chances one of them would be injured or killed. And these rogue Crows were shooting to kill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Corsairs threw a suppression grenade. Jolyon saw it fly over his head, ducking down as the wave of stunning void energy pulsed out. It targeted the senses of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, disorienting its victims. He heard screams and the gunfire ceased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go.” Ailsa spoke into his ear. “They’re all stunned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move!” Jolyon and the Corsairs quickly swarmed the remaining rogue Crows, kicking away weapons, holding them at gunpoint. The men briefly thought about putting up a fight before Ailsa fired another arrow; this one right in between one’s open knees. That had quickly discouraged any notion to stand and fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take them away.” Jolyon said to the Corsairs as they bound and escorted the surviving Crows away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time to see what they were planning or protecting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa joined him on the ground floor, her athletic frame producing a light jump to arrest her descent. She stowed her bow and drew a hand cannon, keeping it pointed down as the two of them swept through the empty containers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing. Jolyon’s mouth grew into a frown and he subtly brushed his slicked black hair as part of a habit he had never grown out of.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What are you up to this time Uldren?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over here!” Ailsa called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jolyon stowed his weapon and jogged over. The awoken hunter knelt beside another container that looked almost identical to the others in the warehouse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gyro’s detecting a high dense object inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is a storage area for foodstuffs.” He pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t really see much that’s edible.” Her ghost wryly said, bobbing his spinning ringed shell around. “Not that it’s all been riddled with bullets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The acting Master of Crows let out a slight scoff. He enjoyed the humor. “Fair point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa reached over, allowing Void Light to manifest around her hands as it shaped into a curved dagger. She thrust it into the lock on the door, carving straight through the bolt and letting it drop to the floor with a metallic clang. The burned area reeked of a rancid scorch scent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together they pulled the doors open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Revealing the same ovoid bomb from the attack earlier. Along with the fallen symbol for retaliation spray painted onto the container’s wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dark ether swirled along the bottom, parting densely at their boots.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ailsa’s helmet flickered on as her eyes adjusted to the dark and detecting abnormal amounts of dark ether inside. It immediately caught a scribble of text at the rear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully the bomb didn’t seem armed or even having a payload, so she slipped past it and went to the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There it was again. The fallen symbol for retaliation.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Kaniks, the Mad Bomber</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Greetings. It's been a while huh? Well I hope to be back on a semi-regular updating interval. Most of the time was spent busy at work and working the Beyond Light story I had going on in my head. Enjoy everyone.</p><p>Song used is "Cumberland Gap" by David Rawlings. You can thank Guy Ritchie's great movie The Gentlemen for featuring and making it better known.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The soft twang of guitar notes trickled through the speakers over Marcus where he sat in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> cockpit and swept across the valley. He hummed along absentmindedly as his lips moved to the lyrics of the old Golden Age music.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything?” He heard Jadyn’s voice over the strat comms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, it’s clear except for a constant annoying valley wind. The most of any I’ve ever flown on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, at least be grateful you’re in your heated ship and not freezing your sorry ass out here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus resisted the urge to scoff at her. “Hey, the Bomber called you out specifically. I’d say you’re the one who needs to stick your neck out there. I’m just here to pull your ass out if you get in trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kiss me momma, kiss your boy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bless me well’n lucky</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For I won’t be back ‘til I return</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m gone to ol’ Kentucky</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s what the scouts will tell you</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sure enough, it may get tough</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If it doesn’t kill ya, kill ya</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Like the corrupted wording of the namesake, Marcus’ ship silently flew low to the ground, staying roughly three hundred feet off the ground level of the largest asteroid in the group. Surrounding them on the narrow pass were more rocks tethered to the main one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t like it at all, it offered a long sightline all the way from this gap to the next with many outcroppings large enough for bandits to hide and watch travelers going through the pass.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fitting from the song. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought in his head. It was an old pre-Golden Age piece of music that described a rather arduous journey through a gap somewhere in the North American Empire where those taking the journey had to face harsh snowstorms, blazing hot summers and treacherous trails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not to mention the bandits and native marauders who preyed on the less-than-prepared journeymen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Similarly, this section of the Tangled Shore was far off the main areas where most of the towns were situated. It was important though due to it being a major shortcut out to Reefedge and a couple other awoken towns if someone was traveling on the ground. It was always possible to take a longer and safer route, but depending on how fast one moved, the time could be extended to days or even weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Going through was incredibly risky due to dug in marauders and outlaws of all kinds. Human, awoken, fallen, they all would hound anyone traveling through like sharks hunting a wounded whale calf.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not like it’s really that much safer anywhere else. The Tangled Shore is a lawless wasteland.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was certain someone was watching him, but his eye kept on his motion tracker and it came up empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was on the ground and in his opinion, the more dangerous position. Most of the bandits looking for victims were wanting someone alone and not able to escape so easily. A fast moving ship that was armed to the teeth with ground support firepower wasn’t worth picking on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But apparently this was the only lead on another Scorn Baron they had come across. After getting more intelligence from Ailsa, who was working with Jolyon Till, the Rachis, they had learned that Kaniks, the Mad Bomber was working in conjunction with Hiraks, the Mindbender to help distract the Vanguard and Awoken by committing bombings of dark ether around to spread chaos while placing the blame and attention on the Crow's Voice; Uldren's most devoted followers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had taken some convincing, but as the acting Master of Crows, Jolyon did learn that the Crow’s Voice had denounced his proclamation on his title and acted on what they believed was Uldren’s accord. Even though they were doing the deeds in his name; Ailsa and Jolyon’s interrogation led them to believe that Uldren hadn’t ordered the attack, but most definitely used the opportunity to his advantage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks lurked in this area; the Wailing Pass, which was named for the aggressive sounding winds that constantly howled through the area, making it sound even more aggravating and hostile than before. Most people felt the name fit from the suffering victims experienced when unluckily venturing through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was everything Marcus dreaded about going into the most dangerous area of the Tangled Shore. Short fused, childlike and wouldn’t hesitate to blow anyone or anything sky high just to kill a simple rodent. Most people steered clear of him, even some of the other Barons. All the more reason to bring backup which he liked to call; superior firepower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced to the sides, seeing the cliffs approach closer and steered the other way. Didn’t hurt just to be safe.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” Jadyn growled in frustration. “Nothing at all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be so quick to jump to giving up.” Solomon said. “The Mad Bomber has to be close nearby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re acting on intel that’s hours old.” She said, kicking a pebble on the ground. “What could be worse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This being a wild goose chase.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That and me burning all this fuel.” Marcus was sharing her similar grumbling and it made Jaydn even madder. “So let’s find this zombie four-arms so I can light him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course he’d say something indignant like that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does Marcus know who we’re talking about?” Solomon asked her privately. “It’s the MAD Bomber. He probably doesn’t have all his limbs intact, especially given his personality.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon’s voice turned serious. “Well we spoke too soon. Jadyn, I’m getting hailed on the open channels. It’s the Mad Bomber!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? I guess that was easy.” She patched him through, letting Marcus listen along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh!” A raspy voice chattered from the other line. “What do we have here? A playmate? Yes! Yes! YES!” The guardians heard him laugh under his breath that somehow chilled them. “Hello! Hello, hello! Ready to play game?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never let them answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s called! Run away! As fast as you can!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What does he mean by that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could think on it further, a low rumble shook underneath her feet. At first, she thought it was an earthquake, but realized those disasters didn’t happen on asteroids. Her eyes glanced around, lowering her weapon. They finally settled on the close slope where a huge face of the cliff was crumbling into dust, sending a massive slide of debris straight at her. It had started at the peak of the valley’s top and widened as it descended further down to ground level. She couldn’t see anyone there, but they’d be swept away and buried instantly under tons of rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JADYN?!” Solomon practically screamed into her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t need any further warning, summoning her sparrow and gunning the throttle as soon as she felt her boots touch the footholds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rumble was growing to a roar and she glanced to her right to see it almost actively seek her out, spreading even further to try and get ahead so it would swallow her. Marcus was cussing up a storm in his ship, but she couldn’t focus on him. Not right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where you going?!” Kaniks asked. “Not to escape?! I don’t think so!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw flashes of dark ether forming almost a hundred feet up ahead, forming into three of those massive hulking scorn. They each raised their hands, firing blasts of lightning from their palms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn kicked the foothold on her right and the sparrow juked the first couple of blasts. One to the left avoided a couple others and she drew Trust, firing as best she could while staying seated. Those abominations were well out of the hand cannon’s range, so it was likely the solar rounds flattened themselves against their thick skins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However down there she was completely exposed, trying to outrun a landslide while being attacked by scorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the hell are you Marcus?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The roar of the avalanche was growing deafening to the point where his reply was drowned out. Large rocks began to clatter in front of her and she juked one last time before her foot pressed again and the sparrow didn’t respond. Her eyes went wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sparrow’s battery is depleted!” Solomon cried. “You need to slow down to recharge it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If I slow down, I’m dead!</span>
  </em>
  <span> But she could only maneuver around so much before hitting a stray rock that would stop her dead in her tracks. Then it would be over, either by burial or by being blasted by lightning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus said something else and Jadyn almost missed it. But her eyes went right again as the avalanche neared, some boulders the size of a jumpship crumbling next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then it was suddenly ablaze in front as the other hunter rained down hellfire with his main guns, the explosive rounds turning the rocks into fine choking powder. Another long burst seemed to erase the abominations out of existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He almost pasted me into the ground!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrenaline was rushing through her veins and as much as she wanted to berate Marcus for firing danger close, that was probably what he was telling her over the strat-comms that she couldn’t distinguish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” She said wryly, noticing the roar of the avalanche petering out as it finally settled. She saw that the entire cliffscape had an entire new groove cut into it, blackened by void scorch marks that barely resembled its original look when she first went in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Really? You’re gonna save my life and treat it like it’s nothing?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, maybe I was wrong.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah. I am.” She couldn’t say the same about her sparrow though, the fine carbon fiber gray and green finish was scuffed and her engine coughed a couple of times. There was definitely some internal damage. “Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I can repair it, if that’s what you’re asking. And I detect your heartbeat increasing when Marcus asked you that. It’s not from the adrenaline either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha! You run like scared niirsai baby! Very amusing!” Kaniks cackled. “Now game go on! Take a look up! Look up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn did that, glancing up towards the peak.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Situated at the very top, there was no mistaking the spiny surface with the glowing sensor of a splinter mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It HAD to splinter mines!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Large powerful explosives used by the fallen House of Wolves to deter intruders, they activated by pushing the spiked sensors inward and then exploding, multiplying the velocity of the spikes which were also loaded with even more explosives. The destruction to the landscape or ships caused horrifying gaping wounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knew that if it went off, it would destroy the entire pass and cause ten more avalanches that would be even more destructive than the one she narrowly avoided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” She called over the strat-comm. “The Bomber’s got a splinter mine at the top of the peak! Can you disarm it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I can get there in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But no you can’t. You get to play with my other friends!” Kaniks said, laughing in his usual maniacal fit. “Have fun!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Have fun?! How about I have fun shoving a missile up your ass when I'm done here?” Marcus muttered to himself. He pulled back on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s joystick to climb up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Contacts!” Onyx suddenly shouted. “Five identified as Ceres-class fighters! Bearing one-nine-zero and closing fast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curses doubled as Marcus saw arc rounds sizzle past the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s hull. He was out in the open, completely exposed and moving slowly, while the Awoken fighters were already accelerating at attack speeds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thrust vector nozzles allowed the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> to move laterally like a City Hawk jumpship, however he could also fold them inside and streamline its frame to become a fast attack fighter. He spun his ship around, thumb already on the weapon controls and toggling off the safeties.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before his mind could fully process it, he had triggered the dual cannons, spewing two tongues of flame and metal out that sounded like a buzzsaw chewing through thick balsa wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ceres weaved from side to side, dodging the rounds easily, however Marcus had intended for that, isolating one from the others with his fire and foxing an Ajax missile the moment he got a lock. He saw the pilot bank hard left behind his wingman, however the missile followed his movements, kicking in its secondary accelerant to home in quickly. The Ceres disappeared in a fireball that consumed it and rattled the entire area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit!” Jadyn cried. “Look out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus glanced up to see the others regrouping. They flew down from above like hawks diving for their prey. There was no way he’d be able to use the same trick twice to funnel them into his missile again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The timer on his HUD for the splinter mine ticked down. He had to help his teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now he had to deal with four fighters that seemed to come straight out of nowhere. Or rather were hiding in ambush for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry Jadyn.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Where is he going?” She muttered to herself, watching him take off with the Ceres in hot pursuit. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re on our own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello playmate!” Kaniks chirped in her ear. “I have your friend in another game! Time for you to play too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not playing your games.” Jadyn hissed. “Just show yourself so I can throw a bunch of flaming knives through your head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh that’s no good talk,” he rumbled back. “That’s much like Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was about to retort when she heard a familiar chilling alarm. The screeching noise of a splinter mine being transmatted close by.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course he would.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dismantle mines? Yes?” Kaniks had purposefully mocked the late Warden Variks’ famous saying. “Otherwise everyone turns into chunks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn spotted it up the nearby slope on the way to the even larger one he had armed at the top. While the smaller ones didn’t have the destructive scale of the starship grade, they could still be quite dangerous and pose a serious risk to anything nearby. Splinter mines often disrupted the careful balance of the Reef’s integrity, frustrating the Awoken Techeun witches trying to monitor and control its stability. Even one going off could earn them their ire and probably even more so if they found guardians responsible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took off springing on her jumps over the rocks that provided enough platforms for her to mantle over. Bolts of void energy sizzled past her and she spotted a handful of scorn surrounding the mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Bomber isn’t going to make this easy. Okay, neither will I.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With a feral grin etched on her face; she twisted in the air as soon as she cleared the flat rock where the mine was planted. Her arms flung out, unleashing a volley of her blades. They went straight for their targets, skewering and burning the hapless aliens to a crisp. She landed on the ground, drawing Trust and immediately scanning her surroundings for more threats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ghost piped up. “I’m working on it. Thank goodness I saved the sequence from our fun in the Prison of Elders to be able to jam and stall the timer for me to disarm it. Just stay close by and don’t walk too far, otherwise you’ll resume the countdown.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, turning to face more scorn headed her way. The waving arms of screebs along with their chittering noises they made alerted her to their presence as they scuttled forward as if old friends at a reunion. Behind them were a pair of chieftains, hissing curses at her with saliva dripping jaws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn calmly shot the screebs, aiming Trust at the glowing luminous warts that grew on their backs. The round instantly ignited the dark ether that boiled inside the mutation’s body and ignited, exploding with a loud bang. Several others crawling alongside it were caught in its blast radius, chaining off the original detonation to explode safely away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the chieftains had also stood too close and had its shield taken down. Before the creature could find cover, Jadyn slung Trust in her free hand and put two bullets into its skull. The second one charged forward, angered at its comrade’s demise. She waited until the larger scorn presented itself before firing her wire at it. The barbed tip snagged into its belt easily, causing the alien to stumble towards her. She swung her leg up and around in her signature hook kick, connecting with the side of its metal helmet and cracking bones. The limp body toppled over the edge of the cliff she had just climbed and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Done!” She heard Solomon breathe a sigh of relief. “Bomb’s disarmed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Let’s find and kill this guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks came onto their comms again. “Ah! I see! You are very good at Kaniks’ game! Maybe I come play with you myself! See if you can reach me in time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Can’t come and face me like a man?” Jadyn teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what friend Cayde did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s not what Prince Uldren did either. You’re one to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Less talk! More play!” Kaniks summoned another mine, again up the slope equal to the height of several stories. “I can’t have boyfriend help you in his comfy ship. Thank Uldren friends for helping me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t waste time again, jumping up as best she could. The terrain got rougher and steeper the higher she went. As she cleared the next area, the mine was situated on a narrow ledge, offering little in terms of movement to stay close. Solomon did his thing, stalling the timer and initiating the deactivation protocol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” Jadyn didn’t hear Kaniks’ voice in the comms this time and glanced up to see the Baron perched on a ledge above her. He grinned wickedly and lifted a massive cylindrical gun in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time to die!” He aimed down at her and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn wasn’t prepared for how fast the grenades came at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t fast hyper-velocity grenades like one that was rocket-propelled, but rather the automatic rate of fire they were launched...almost like that of an assault rifle. She slid to the ground, sticking close to the wall to minimize her profile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon cried for her, but she had to nearly yell over the crackling explosions that she was fine and to keep working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to do something about him, essentially trapped against the wall. If he got a bead on her, there wouldn’t be anything left for Solomon to put together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thanked the Traveler that Kaniks hadn’t brought any other scorn to help him. Not yet at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde all talk,” he taunted from his post. “Such a boring boy to kill, kill KILL!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise you won’t be boring.” Jadyn shot back, not even sure if he could hear her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Argh,” Solomon grunted in frustration. “The Bomber’s grenades are making a huge interference on my efforts. Can you help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sure if I can peer out.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Still, she had to try. Especially with the big mine’s timer still ticking down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A grenade formed in her hand and she blindly tossed it up. She must’ve hit something because Kaniks let out a panicked screech and it caused another slide of rocks to tumble down. A large object unlike them caught her eye and she came face to face with the Bomber himself as he latched out to grab onto the cliff and haul himself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You waste time lightbearer!” Kaniks cackled with annoying glee again. “Mine go closer to big boom and timer counting down!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” As he brought his grenade launcher to bear, she had flung a fan of knives at him. Once he pulled the trigger, a grenade fired and missed her by just a few feet, but the device clicked and strained, the action sounding like metal scraping harshly inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gun is no good!” He tossed it at his feet and stomped it like a child throwing a tantrum. “We do this fun way! Waste more time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn fired her hand cannon, staggering him back as he snarled in frustration. He grabbed several of the grenades on the bandolier strung around his chest, clicking them on and tossing them at her with reckless abandon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slid out of the way as the detonations rocked the surface and jarred her teeth. Another shot intercepted one headed directly for her, exploding in front of her face and sending her careening back where she hit the ground with a sharp gasp of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come on Solomon...hurry up!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Done, it’s defused!” Solomon transmatted it away and immediately got to patching her wounds. “Clock still counting down!” Kaniks danced gleefully again in front of her. He crouched down and sprang up to the ledges above, continuing to climb up towards the massive mine at the top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tick tock! Tick tock!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn went after him. That explosive wasn’t going to go off on her watch.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>While the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a swift and nimble ship, it wasn’t made to be a dogfighter at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus weaved around the asteroids, slipping in between tethered cords as he tried to lose his pursuers. However the awoken pilots that chased him in their Ceres class galliot interceptors were just as skilled. Shaped like a sideways tripod mount, they had dragfins and stabilizers for delicate maneuvering around the unpredictable fields of asteroids. Only the top percentage of them had access to such fighters, since the skill required was far above even the above average.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they gave chase, Marcus was in confusion as to why the Awoken had been so openly hostile in firing on a guardian ship without provocation. He knew that security of the airspace around the populated areas and shipping ports were closely guarded, but the Tangled Shore was out of the way from any major base. Not to mention the Taken War had decimated their ranks and left the once glorious civilization in crumbling ruins of instability and well-founded political strife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In short, if he fired back and was viewed as the aggressor, he could cause another international incident and deteriorate the worsening relations between the City and the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I managed to reach Petra,” Onyx said after a while. “She has no known patrols in this area. However few she does have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then who are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps it’s that Crow’s Voice that’s working to help Uldren.” She suggested, “They may not be actively working with him, but they are hindering our efforts to stop his cause.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not to mention a lot of Crows under his command were ace pilots.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Raythe shook as a nearby cluster of asteroids was vaporized by arc blasts. The Awoken were making sure he knew they were still chasing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me some options Onyx, I can’t leave Jadyn on her own and evade these guys forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way he could use any of his Ajax attack missiles. Not only would getting a lock be difficult, but the Ceres could easily maneuver around other debris and the mainline production model had void chaff decoys to throw off enemy locks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That meant he had to get them out in the open or somehow beat them with their own advantages in play. The good silver lining in all of it was that Ailsa and Jolyon had confirmed that these Crows’ Voice agents were rogue and considered disavowed by him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Crows’ Voice pilots played smart, using a double team method with two funneling him one way while the others planned an ambush. Marcus kept an eye on his trackers the moment a pair had dropped off and paid deliberate attention as to where he was being forced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So far it had been effective with them trying to keep him in the asteroid fields close to the Tangled Shore. One had broken away and joined the other missing pair as soon as he attempted to hightail it to the open space, waiting for him and spraying his general direction with arcbolt fire. Marcus shot back, forcing them to evade down, however a locked on missile forced his own hand and he had to retreat back into the asteroid fields again to shield him. The game of cat and mouse resumed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Four to one weren’t great odds, not in a dogfight. Something had to give.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushed through the next group of asteroids, all spinning wildly in his wake. One of the Ceres pursued closely and he saw the other three lagging behind, likely relaying a plan together to try and pin him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, time on that splinter mine Jadyn’s after?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eight minutes and she’s on her way to try and disarm it, but Kaniks isn’t making things easier. We have to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we stop and try, those Ceres will swoop in and clip my wings. Not only will I not be able to help her, we may not have a ride out of here.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not to mention the amount of glimmer I spent on this damn ship.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Jadyn.” He whispered, not sure if she could hear him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ceres behind him kept up its pursuit, closing in and firing. He weaved to the right to avoid it as an idea formed in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Cass; Marcus was no ace pilot, but he felt pretty good at knowing his ship’s limits on what he could and couldn’t do. The thrust vectoring and advanced instruments he outfitted had tailored the custom frame specifically for air superiority combat, ironically against armored ground and light air targets. Not against fast moving interceptors that could match his every move.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess it’s something else I need to work on. If we get out of this alive.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gravity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ghost stared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the gravity here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At this position, it’s zero point six eight Gs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” Marcus gave a savage grin and pulled back on his throttle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, he saw the Ceres pilot hesitate as the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> went up at a steep angle into a nearly vertical climb. There were fewer asteroids up here, so he didn’t have to worry much about shifting to avoid them. Using the booster engines allowed for him to outspeed the Ceres, leaving the interceptor in the dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his surprise, the other ship gained speed as well. It seemed that it too had an accelerant. However he knew that keeping this up, even in the weaker Reef atmosphere would drastically increase the G forces and force him to black out, something that could prove permanently fatal for even guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched the chasing Ceres edge closer and rolled out of the way of more arcbolt fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hands toggled his weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, give me a target as soon as he comes into view?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” His ghost blinked at him again. “It’s behind you, how are you going to get it in your sights unless you rotate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, Marcus yanked on the throttle, cutting off the engines and causing the Raythe to hang suspended in air for a fraction of a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he spiraled down. The wings caught again in his stall, stabilizing and preventing him from going into an uncontrolled spin, however the move had turned the ship around completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bringing the Ceres right in his sights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx immediately slaved the targeting system to adjust immediately and Marcus thumbed the trigger of his rotary cannons. The guns belched their twin tongues of flame as the Crow’s Voice pilot had almost no time to avoid flying right into the hailstorm of bullets. Several pierced its armored hull and ignited the fuel in its engine, causing a massive fireball to completely engulf the craft. As he flew down, the engines flared online and he dove straight for the other three that were waiting for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two of them fell back, trying to pepper him with more arcbolts while the third went up to his altitude to meet him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a big mistake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus rolled to the right and activated the boosters again, nearly colliding with the other fighter, which disappeared past his glass in a flash. He was lucky the other pilot had banked to his own right as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However during it, he had achieved a lock and clicked the launch for an Ajax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The missile dropped out from his bomb bay, igniting to accelerate forward before it suddenly stopped and did another turnaround and flying right past his cockpit glass by only six feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ceres didn’t seem to realize that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> was capable of attacking or locking on without a permanent line of sight and its pilot popped a series of chaff flares. It was too late for him. Though it would’ve thrown off the Ajax’s guidance if launched earlier, it wasn’t done quick enough to fool it. Marcus smirked as he saw the orange glow from behind as it confirmed the kill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now he knew that the other two Ceres after him wouldn’t be giving up so easily. And they wouldn’t fall for his other tricks he had used.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brother John’s already gone</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With the full blood Cherokee maiden</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He made the trip in the blizzard’s grip</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’d rather wrestle Satan</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh the snow kept coming</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Picked her up upon his back</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>By God he loved that woman</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Cayde no fun to kill!” Kaniks laughed as he continued to retreat up the slope. “Mercy! Prince Uldren! Mercy please! Sad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although it made her blood boil at how his death was being mocked, Jadyn knew that even on his deathbed, Cayde wouldn’t do any such thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so dead.” She growled. “You should tell that to Uldren himself. So he can practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uldren no need! I will kill you first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good! Come get me and invite your friends too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn broke her sprint, jumping up and up again to clear more fallen rocks. She shot her wire up, firmly wrapping around Kaniks’ leg. He shrieked and wiggled it furiously trying to shake her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However she held a grip of iron, using the reel to close the gap. Kaniks turned around to face her in his ascent and she immediately unloaded the entire cylinder of Trust. His body staggered back, but her momentum was going too quick as his metal arm struck her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wire snapped and she nearly tumbled over on a rather long trip, but she stopped and had to roll to her side as Kaniks began throwing his void grenades at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were at the big mine by now, Jadyn could see its size was much larger than the man portable ones she had to disarm before. Much of the ground was open at the peak like in the bowl shaped crater of a volcano.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here.” Her ghost chirped. “Working on it as fast as I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to hurry, we’ve got four minutes.” Jadyn scanned the area, finding Kaniks again who had retreated just outside the area and lobbed more grenades at her. She moved laterally, firing Trust as best she could to intercept the explosives. Most of her shots missed, but one hit an explosive, setting it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cayde, murdered eliksni! Think you different? Think you hero?! Joke at you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I guess we’re gonna pretend the hundreds of awoken you killed with your bombs didn’t happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Humans soft, awoken soft. Rodents must die! And I like to make it painful!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are coming! If we lucky there won’t be much left of you left for them to kill! You no boring like Cayde!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep him talking and busy Jadyn!” Solomon said, still busy at work. “This one’s pretty sophisticated, it could come down to the final seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Which means I’ll need to keep him busy for that time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks summoned more screebs from his position, which Jadyn had to throw a tripmine to disrupt. The creatures scuttled around the ground, setting off the motion sensor and detonating with another teeth rattling blast. Kaniks circled her from behind, trying to catch her off guard, however she kept him in her peripherals while blasting more screebs or dodging their lunges at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He must’ve known, because she jumped the gun in following his predictive movements. He had stopped and took a step in the opposite direction. She followed and in the chaos, had lost sight of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was still searching for him when a pair of grenades hit the ground right next to her. She barely had time to gasp or react when they blew, causing a concussive blast that knocked her into the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got you!” Kaniks cackled, throwing some more of them onto the slopes. Jadyn’s eyes went wide with panic as part of the loosely packed gravel shifted and roared down towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, she was caught in the rockslide, her leg buried within moments as her movements stopped and she fell limply down, each of her limbs immobile from the weight pressing her into an uncomfortable sprawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her helmet was knocked askew, the sealant broken and right in her face to block her vision. And because she couldn’t move, there was no way to take it off or adjust it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! You were fun to play with.” Kaniks stalked closer. “I should play with you some more. Maybe cut you open and have you walk around with a big boom bomb?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn couldn’t say anything, but she pushed, calling on her Light to help give her strength, but the rocks’ weight had fet as was if she was encased in a tomb of steel</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard some shuffling and suddenly her throat was grabbed by a metal fist and she felt her entire body get dragged out of the rubble, hanging limply like a ragdoll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could hear Solomon whimpering in terror at seeing his guardian so helpless.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s okay. I promise. You just keep on that mine. Every moment counts.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks grabbed her helmet, giving it a yank that took a few strands of her coppery red hair with it. Although she was trying to play either dead or inert, she couldn’t help a pained grunt escaping her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could see his features more closely now, an eye that had a patch over it and ropey muscled neck with a mismatched scuffed armor and the grenade bandolier that didn’t seem like he used any on him at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps that is where I will place the bomb.” His eyes widened in a wicked sneer as he raised a rather wicked looking barbed explosive that beeped softly in his mechanical hand. “Straight down thethroat .”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh you mean this throat?” Jadyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question startled him, not because of her retort, but rather because she had given off the vibe that she had been unconscious and helpless the entire time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had little time to digest what she meant before Jadyn’s mouth was open again. Calling upon her Light, her breath was exalted from her mouth, manifesting into a stream of deadly orange and yellow flames. To anyone else, it was if she had gained the powers of a mythical dragon able to simply breathe fire from within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks shrieked again as the flames scorched his face, however he still kept his grip on her chestplate. Jadyn quickly had used her distraction, grabbing her knife and slicing through the arm that held her. The blade cut through the thin bionic limb and she flexed her legs to soften the impact. At the same time, she went for the bomb, wresting it from his hands and then using the barbed edge to drive it into his ripped arm socket as hard as she possibly could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaniks growled in frustration, shaking like a bull to throw her off, but she spun around, hook kicking him in the head to send him stumbling back. She saw his hands frantically groping at the edge of the charge in a vain attempt to free it from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It no matter! You lose anyway!” He sprinted forward, his free hands hitting all the grenades attached to his vest. Jadyn realized he intended to try and take her with him and an explosion this size would kill Solomon too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to get the walking time bomb away from them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn fired Trust, her shots at a bit of a range made it hard to pin him down and Kaniks made sure to be evasive as he closed the gap. Any rounds that hit him had missed the primed explosives, not setting them off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking fast, she thrust her wrist out, shooting her wire again to wrap around Kaniks’ head. As soon as it went taut, she yanked on it as hard as possible, the force traveling through the cord until it locked firmly over his neck. Kaniks sprung forward, either by his own momentum or hers, but as he came close to her, she lashed out with another kick, jumping up to meet him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The expression of glee on his face turned to horror when he realized his attempt to try and kill her too was going to fail as he fell down the slope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn met his eyes as he plummeted and retracted her wire around him. It was a mix of that same sadistic joy and rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she shot him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was dead on with her aim on Trust as a round struck one of the primed grenades, setting it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mad Bomber vanished in a brilliant explosion that rolled in clouds of flame and ashes as the loud boom echoed across the gap like the rumble of thunder.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit! Shit! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marcus cursed to himself as he weaved again to dodge the other two Ceres. They kept on his heels, firing more arcbolts that kept him from going on the offensive. The entire bubble of his cockpit glass was flashing white with the explosive rounds going off around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon just pinged me.” Onyx said, sounding relieved. “The Bomber is down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” As happy as he was at hearing the news, he had to focus on his own task at hand. “We can pick her up once we’re done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the span of the few minutes, he had tried to deke, juke or trick the pursuants into exposing themselves even for a second, but either he wasn’t doing a good job at it or the pilots were far too savvy to know that he was going to do anything to throw them off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were prepared for his abrupt stall spin maneuver he tried to pull earlier and one of them raked the entire dorsal section. A few lucky shots had penetrated the armor over his number two engine and alarm signs had gone off indicating that the damage sustained had reduced its maximum output to seventy one percent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had flipped in the cross bleed switch to share the load, however he wasn’t sure how much longer his number one could go without it being strained and having problems of its own. Not only was his speed reduced, but the thrust vectoring capability was limited. He wouldn’t be able to dodge using it as much as he wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Missile lock detected!” Onyx warned him. One of the Ceres was about to fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus waited as the alarm blared in the cockpit. “Missiles away and closing fast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched the screen, able to see on his tracker closing fast. As he banked to the left towards an open area where fewer asteroids were floating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you?” Onyx wondered out loud. Going into the clearer section was almost certain to be a death sentence to avoid locked on missiles. With nothing to block or screen across, they would simply go after their target easily unless they ran out of fuel. And because these types were made for dogfights, it would take too much time to outrun it until its reserves were exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time that he didn’t have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Going to the open also did one thing neither Awoken pilot had likely expected him to do. Put himself in the precarious position. They had likely begun to try and shunt him back into the asteroid fields to continue their pursuit of wearing him down. Marcus made for the far side, if he could make it and hide in an alcove big enough, it would allow him to stay under the radar of the Ceres’ until they gave up. Combing each asteroid in a section could take weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Determined not to lose their prey, they left the cover of the field themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Exactly what Marcus wanted them to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though his engines weren’t operating up to capacity, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe </span>
  </em>
  <span>was still formidable in her own right. As the missile closed in; he hit the countermeasures, causing a four star shaped plume of hot flares that served as decoys. The launched missile detected the new signature, kicking in its closing speed afterburners to home in and detonate behind him. He felt the rumble in the ship’s airframe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now we’re on even ground.” Marcus looped, pulling into a Chandelle while already slaving his targeting computer on the first enemy fighter he saw. The moment he synced a lock, he fired an Ajax while turning on the second with his rotary cannons. The contrail streaked left while his guns went right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fighter with the missile after it, predictably popped the chaff countermeasure of its own, throwing off the Ajax just as he did to their own fighter. What he didn’t expect was for enemy fire to come from the one on his right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cursed and had to practically throw his weight into the craft to pitch it to the left. The Ceres had flown in between the two streams of rounds, spinning itself and firing in a helix to try and clip him. More arcbolts pinged off the armored chassis, scoring blackened burns on his ship’s gunmetal finish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is an expensive paint job you fucks.” He growled, adjusting his aim on the guns. The steady stream of automatic fire was reduced to sporadic bursts, still largely useless at such a distant range, but it kept the Ceres pilot on his toes. Marcus wasn’t going to just roll over and let them chase him forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guns stopped abruptly and he glanced at their status. Ammo depleted.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Onyx! Reserves!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m working on it! I’m also trying to see if I can get number two engine working again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get me the damn ammo! Otherwise you’ll have an entire ship to hold together!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With no other weapons at his disposal, he pushed in between the twin streams of arcbolt fire to launch another Ajax. It streaked out, igniting and chasing down the Ceres with almost no need to adjust its heading. The wingman swooped forward, trying to shoot it down, however the Ajax accelerated to close the gap in a final blast, slamming into the front one for another fireball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ammo’s loaded.” Onyx said. Marcus grinned behind his helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire and dust hadn’t cleared, so the Ceres was still flying in front blind. As it rounded the debris of its wingman, the pilot glanced around to find the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had used the explosion as a screen to retreat back into the asteroid field, now having a prime position to take out his final opponent. He had to give the other pilot some credit for not turning tail and running since he had come at him with four others...and all of them had perished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gunned it down. The Ceres seemed to have some sixth sense to know of the impending attack and quickly dove out of the way, breaking for theåz asteroids as well. All of his rounds missed and he went on the pursuit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ceres pilot was good, weaving from side to side in a scissor maneuver, a fighter aircraft trick as old as time where the pattern was steady until they broke it, causing the complacent chasing pilot to either overcompensate or overshoot his target.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus fired again, his finger closing in on another Ajax missile. The reticule centered on a lock, but as the Ceres went left, it broke its concentration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on you little shit,” he muttered to himself. “Hold still for once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then all of a sudden, he blinked in a moment. The next, the Ceres pulled up sharply, executing a perfect flip, while slowing itself down. He passed by like a speeding driver in the fast lane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curse was halfway out of his mouth when he heard the drumming noise of the arcbolt cannons again and a rattle across the back of his ship. He had the warning of an incoming missile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Hunter had become the hunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus launched another chaff charge just in time to avoid the fate of the other Awoken pilots he shot down and weaved about in a scissoring, mirroring the other one’s previous attempt to shake him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” It was Jadyn. “Solomon says he can’t disarm the mine in time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Great. This day is going fantastic. We’re all about to be skewered.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx get me every bit of power into the engines.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But,” she started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving Jadyn behind. And I’m not letting this hellish place into ashes if I can help it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you have an idea.” Her voice was nervous, but she did as he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched the numbers spike again and hoped it wouldn’t need a miracle to get out of this alive.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn wasn’t sure what Marcus could’ve done in his ship, but after the death of the Mad Bomber, she had been forced to survive on her own as scorn began to swarm her. Screebs scuttled forward while stalkers and raiders fired at her from afar. She had managed to hold her own, but she still had to stay in the area so Solomon could do his work. Any healing would have to wait as he tended to the mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was about thirty seconds when he admitted that it may not be enough for him to disarm in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when she decided to call Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw him before long, accelerating through the asteroid fields above with a single Awoken Ceres interceptor giving chase and firing wildly. Her heart dropped when she saw that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> was trailing black smoke. It looked significantly damaged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get ready!” She heard him shout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Above her, Marcus plummeted into a dive that was almost straight down. The Ceres followed closely, not wanting its wounded prey to slip free.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t watch, not because of its daredevil stunt, but rather more scorn arriving. Every round of Trust she put into the head of them, combusted into a fiery explosion that burned those nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come on Marcus. Help me out here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the sound of the fighters’ engines growing louder and finally managed to steal a glance up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was heading right for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> descended, he flexed out all of its flaps and dragfins, sharply bleeding out the speed. Using the momentum had him spun around where he fired another fusillade of his rotary cannons. The move was so abrupt and the Ceres pilot was too close to properly react. Jadyn saw one of its engines ignite as the shots irreparably damaged and sent it off course. The Ceres made a loud whining sound as it spun uncontrollably past them into space and out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus fired his vertical thrusters, hovering just beside the mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inside!” He shouted over the strat comms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon released his own hold on the explosive, transmatting them both onboard. Jadyn had that brief lightheaded ness sensation before her feet touched the solid metal floor of the cramped interior cabin. There was a faint smell of burnt plastic and just about everything that wasn’t nailed down was flattened against the reinforced rear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Secured.” That meant he was using the tow cable the Raythe had in order to latch onto objects he intended to manipulate outside his ship. She had seen him use it as a weapon as well. The hook was opened close to the center, in between the cannons and in front of the missile bays.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx gunned the throttle as soon as she was aboard. Jadyn felt herself threaten to tumble back into the small living quarters, however Marcus had jumped out of the pilot’s seat, grabbing her arm and hauling her to the copilot’s, which sat behind and slightly elevated so that they could see above and out of the cockpit bubble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s hands found the belt straps and Marcus barely made it in time before he was already zooming up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gotta out as much distance between us and the Reef to minimize damage.” He said a little breathlessly. The Raythe </span>
  <em>
    <span>shuddered</span>
  </em>
  <span> in protest as he felt like he was pushing it to its limits. “But if we do it too late, it might not be enough for us to get out of the blast radius.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt a pit in her stomach. “We’ll kill so many innocent people if we blow it too close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which is why we don’t have much time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m working on it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Working on it?!” She couldn’t believe her ears. “Sure, let’s lug around a highly dangerous explosive that has seconds to go off! Some plan!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t seem to hear her, or maybe he didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, on my mark, release the hold on the mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s hands gripped the wheel. She felt it move as Marcus steered and centered their course straight at the open space, clear of the debris that made up the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he?” Solomon asked needlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw Marcus’ hand begin to power up the ship’s NLS drive.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With the condition it’s in, is that thing even still functional?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand pushed it forward and she saw the familiar blue, white and purple streaks as all of space rippled and bent to their will. Then suddenly it whizzed by going back in front, returning to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“MARK!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they felt the ship shake from the release of the huge mine, Marcus put out the maximum on the throttle, charging up the NLS drive for another jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cursed, the charge would take up a few moments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn blinked, realizing he had partially entered an NLS jump to greatly increase the distance between them and the habitable areas of the Reef. They were still in the area, but in the void of empty space where there wasn’t many asteroids or other space junk floating around. He dropped them out as soon as they did enter to release the bomb and would jump out of the way, just briefly to get themselves out of the mine’s blast radius.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had to admit that it was incredibly genius, but also ballsy and full of big risks that she was never really willing to take while piloting a jumpship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn opened her mouth to wonder if everything was alright when the mine detonated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were still recharging the NLS when it rocked the entire ship. With the little air, they heard a notably loud bass noise from the explosion, but both of them knew that it would be beyond deafening if in a regular atmosphere of the Reef.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they blew, splinter mines compressed their spines inside to multiply the explosive pressure before sending them out at rocket speed velocity. The spines had explosives inside with other razor sharp spines that could continue the process and shred anything in its path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus could see the glowing spines as they shot out, passing him quickly as their explosives activated the submunitions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look out!” Jadyn cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He steered around, dipping and rolling to avoid shrapnel as bits of it clattered against the hull. Warnings blared on their consoles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on girl.” He growled under his breath. “Just a little more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn just sat there, feeling a bit out of place from not being able to help. Not like she could’ve anyway. While a decent pilot, she had a feeling in a scenario like this; Marcus wanted nobody except himself in control of his ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Explosions boomed around them and she felt the blast waves temporarily push the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> on its own. She felt a bit nervous, but could only watch as Marcus kept his focus and control, despite it fighting him every bit of the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ghost appeared in front of him. “Charged!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jump!” He engaged the NLS drive, pushing the throttle forward which ended up causing everything in the screen to blur and blend into the mix of purple, blue and white.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Engine temperature is critical.” Onyx said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut it down.” He flipped a couple switches overhead and went back to work for a second before turning back to Jadyn. “You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Her face was still pale and she reached up to remove her helmet, not realizing that she had been holding her breath for a while. “Yeah I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I will be. I’m still trying to tell myself I just pulled some extremely dangerous stunt off like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m amazed.” Jadyn said, a bit of color returning to her face. “That was really...really brave of you. And really stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But somehow it worked.” He corrected her. “In hindsight, I’d rather us not repeat that again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I second the notion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx floated over to Solomon. “And props to you for helping your guardian take down the Bomber! I’m sorry we couldn’t help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had your hands full.” Solomon’s posture relaxed to one of cheerfulness, something Jadyn needed. “And no matter what the Bomber said out there, you’re not a murderer. Guardians are the wielders and defenders of the Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded. “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence enveloped the both of them, still deep in thought about how many times they had defied death in the past hour. If anything, the mine’s detonation probably distorted and destabilized the delicate fields that the Awoken techeuns used to keep the Reef’s unique ecostructure intact. Most of those tech witches were probably already cursing the crazy guardians to mess up the balance.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I still don’t know how the both of us pulled that off. I couldn’t have done this without Marcus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up when she made a sound. At first he swore maybe it was from the white noise that rung in his ears after the mine’s detonation. But after he heard it again, he realized that she was laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was a stress reliever, but it grew as he saw her opaline eyes sparkle with mirth and she clutched the back of her head. Jadyn’s laughter was infectious and he found it to be incredibly sweet.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I have to find something else to make her laugh like this. It’s amazing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“This girl is crazy.” Rather than the eye rolling condescending attitude he carried with that statement, he was grinning from ear to ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this guy is just as crazy!” Jadyn kept laughing and let out a whoop of excitement. “But crazy is what we guardians do to get shit done!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both their ghosts watched as the female hunter was still in her laughing fit. Onyx shook her head, setting the course to the Dasa Base. They would have enough fuel and hopefully the engines would hold together enough so they could limp back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even more bizarre was Marcus; joining her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fitting for the music. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onyx sat back, pleased with her work and more so that the speakers could play something more relaxed on their journey back to the Shore.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daniel stood on the pinnacle rock</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Lookin’ up and down the mountain</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Took his trusty ol’ flintlock</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Daniel started shoutin’ </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kentucky she’s awaitin’ on the other side</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Burnin’ with the fever, with the daylight in your eyes</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cumberland Gap, it’s a Devil of a gap</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Mindbent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A much shorter chapter here! But it's gonna set up the Baron we're going after next! Enjoy everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jadyn would’ve known if someone was probing her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet it eluded her, same with Solomon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lay on a cot in the Dasa Base’s sleeping quarters, tossing in a fit despite her own mind and body demanding for her to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully the barracks were spacious enough to have each guardian based or visiting to have their own small set of quarters. Though it cramped a bathroom, shower and bed in a space that was a third of her apartment’s size, it was livable enough for having somewhere to sleep and keep privacy for a couple of days. Most guardians seldom stayed long and those who were expected to be there past a week would have temporary quarters assigned that were much more roomy and comfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon felt troubled that he couldn’t just erase the restlessness from his guardian. He could heal gruesome wounds, as he had done in the past, bring her back from the dead and give her strength. But one of the things he couldn’t do was help recharge her body with sleep. Despite the rumor that guardians didn’t need it, it was quite the contrary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn flopped on the bed again, almost disappearing in the soft mattress and grabbed the fluffy pillow to press firmly to her ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go the fuck to sleep!” She growled through gritted teeth. Solar Light singed through her limbs for a moment as it manifested her anger. “Damn it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped, forcing her body to relax. Her eyelids remained heavy, but they refused to close.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, time to try something else.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw off the blankets, scrunching up her heels close to her butt, crossed her arms and began doing abdominal crunches. Maybe rigorous exercise would help tire her body out more.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Two.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Three.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Four.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Five.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The counting continued in her head as she softly exhaled. Fatigue crept up in her head as she passed fifty, but it also seemed as if it was switched onto thinking that it was in another one of her core workout routines. And she had one hundred crunches left.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One forty five.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One forty six.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One forty seven.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One forty eight.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One forty nine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One fifty.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn breathed again, her fair skin haven’t even broken a sweat in that rapid pace that was normally one of her warmups. Her shoulder length copper colored hair was already a disheveled mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her ghost was immediately awake, powering on his single blue white eye in the darkness. “I’m here Jadyn. Is everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” He floated off the little cushion that was reserved for a guardian’s ghost to sleep comfortably and snuggled close to her. “I wish I could help. Maybe the infirmary has some melatonin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or I could just try again.” She had been at this for three days, finally being able to sleep when most of Dasa Base was awakening to start their day. She’d be wide awake when the clocks struck midnight, one to two in the morning and then be completely out when that pervasive presence finally left her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like someone’s inside me,” she softly said. “Like there’s someone or something preventing me from sleeping. And I hear someone, like it’s a dream. A man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon was quiet for a moment. “A man? Like who?” She had noticed a bit of a protective tone in his voice, knowing how he felt when the opposite sex took a liking to his guardian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon looked disappointed and frustrated that he couldn't help. He questioned why the Traveler just couldn't give him the ability to knock his guardian out so that she could rest.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It took a few tips, from the exercise to reading to drinking a glass of warm milk from the Dasa Base's mess hall. However it did the trick. Jadyn was finally relieved to have gone back to sleep much earlier than the other times she looked longingly at the clock, hoping it would grip her sooner rather than later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As her mind cleared out, the voices became sharper and she was aware of some bestial growl from somewhere else. Something felt invasive into her dream, forced open like a wedge driven into a seam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The ceremony was set. Chairs neatly folded out in the front of the courtyard in three sections. The bright red for the titans in the center. The bright gold for the warlocks on the left. The bright blue for the hunters on the right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn sat in the front row, smiling at the banners as a band of impressive brass played a fanfare of uplifting music that screamed accomplishment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And she deserved that. For the past seven months, like many of her fellow hunters sitting close to her; she had taken the basic training courses for new guardians, learning how to discipline her Light, learning protocols used by the Vanguard as well as basic use of weaponry. And that was only the beginning. Evidenced by Commander Zavala’s speech as he addressed the graduating class, this was just scratching the surface in learning what it meant to serve in the City and her people’s defense. But it was a momentous step forward.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Solomon beamed as Jadyn and the rest of the new guardians received their dress class items and uniforms. Titans wore blues, warlocks wore whites and hunters wore grays. Upon receiving the dress items, it was considered formal attire for any Vanguard ceremonial event.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ikora had stepped up, raising a hand in leading each of the new graduates in the new oath that they would take to defend the City.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn’s smile never left her face and neither did Solomon’s. They had both found their purpose.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Imbued with the Light of the Traveler, I devote my life to defending humanity from all that would harm us. I hereby swear to be a defender of the Last City and a Guardian of the people.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zavala closed the ceremony out with a final congratulations and the celebrations began.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn was at the reception, hitting up the bars with a glass of champagne and snacks. She smiled, taking pictures with fellow guardians and their ghosts that she trained with, laughed, many already talking about forming fireteams and assignments that would soon follow.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A voice brought her out of her private thoughts as she saw a familiar brown hooded exo saunter towards her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look who it is! The hot stuff that’s been the highlight Hunter of the hundred and second Vanguard grad class! I’m surprised you’re sitting on the sidelines.” Cayde-6 gestured to the middle of the makeshift dance floor where several guardians were already busy in tune with a DJ on a lit light construct. “Go enjoy yourself! Guardian Basic is no laughing matter.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I will,” Jadyn smiled, watching a titan pop a bottle of champagne above and douse the crowd with the fizz like a hose. “But it’s a little bit more rowdy than I like.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I remember establishing these training classes and grad ceremonies.” Cayde gestured for the bartending frame for a drink. He took the glass of a clear liquid and downed it in an entire gulp. “Still, you gotta show you’re fit for the job...but the celebration is well deserved. At least your ghost will cure your hangover if you’ve got one.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Your help was really paying off.” Jadyn felt thirsty herself, causing the bartender frame to hand her a drink of her own. “I can’t take all the credit for being at the top of the Hunter class.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well you just happened to catch my eye,” Cayde winked at her, but she knew her friend was only joking around with the platonic flirtation. “You’re hot stuff for a reason.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And I think we should take a moment to commemorate this too.” Solomon added. “You only graduate once as they say!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He floated close to them, going up so that the two hunters could grin and pose for a capture worthy picture.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Anything you want to say?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, everyone needs to look out.” Cayde made a pistol with his free hand. “The hundred and second Vanguard Basic graduating class has a new top Hunter prodigy! She’s called hot stuff for a reason. Jadyn Amaris. A name you gotta remember!”</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Such a tasteless event.” She heard a familiar voice. “Glorifying your accomplishments like some outdated tradition.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Uldren.” Jadyn hissed. “You.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren made a scoffing noise, showing his own discomfort in sharing a consciousness with a guardian. “I’ll have you know this displeases me just as much as it does you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then what is this?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hiraks, the Mindbender. He has the power to unravel the minds of people, probe their memories.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn felt a bit of panic. Could he be able to rip them from her forever. Cayde was gone, but was Uldren going to do the unthinkable and erase his legacy from her?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t you dare.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Relax.” Uldren said sardonically. “We won’t have to speak to each other again once I get what I need from you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then you did this?! Like what?! You’re not taking anything else from me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Cayde's voice echoed around her as if he was an actual specter that haunted her. It only drove the knife deeper in her gut over the fact she did everything she could to rescue him. And failed. “You’re my favorite. Don’t tell anyone.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She heard a sigh from the Prince. “So you were his prodigy. Well that explains quite a bit doesn’t it? I didn’t know you guardians were the sensitive type. You deal destruction so easily and deal with loss so poorly.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her anger flared. “I’ll make sure you deal just as bad with loss as I have.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You will have meddled in my affairs for too long. But you guardians didn't care did you? No longer.” Uldren seethed. “Care to know how Cayde died?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “He stared at me, begging for me not to pull the trigger. A mighty guardian, the notorious Cayde-6, humbled, beaten and at my mercy. The irony was not lost on me. If he hadn’t been at that spot, there wouldn’t have been a need to kill him. A needless death. But it's also one I'm glad I got the opportunity to rid us of.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn wanted to punch him or worse, find and mag dump Trust’s entire cylinder into his back. He had said that so dismissively, as if Cayde was some insect he needed to scrape off his boots.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He was in my way. An obstacle. And obstacles get removed.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She doubted that Cayde would be pleading for his life at the end of Ace’s barrel. Even when the Bomber had exaggerated it before she blew him out up out of existence.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And that was your motive?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren scoffed again. “Cayde was rather annoying for a guardian. Not to mention he threw me to rot in the Prison of Elders.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Honestly that’s where you belonged.” Jadyn said to him. “Because if I ever saw you, I’d kill you myself.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t reply. And she would keep her word.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why is the Mindbender doing this?” Jadyn asked.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because the more I know about the people after me, the better I can plan.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And I suppose there’s no way for me to prevent it?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re far too unimaginative to even think of a way, if it was even possible.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And you’re one to talk unimaginatively when you can’t even style your hair right.” Jadyn said. "I've already killed three of your Barons. I'm gonna be at your doorstep like the reaper himself before long. There's not going to be any place in the Solar System you'll be able to hide from me."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She heard a mocking laugh from Uldren. Her blood boiled, but she didn't dare show that it got a reaction out of her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Good luck."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was her turn to laugh darkly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You might want to hang onto the luck." She told him. "You will need it."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Within her sleep, Jadyn paced around in her dreams, seeing the lilac sky of the Reef. The location was unfamiliar. What was more relieving was that Uldren's presence was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However one thing stood out to her. She saw it deep within the warrens of a beached hive Tombship that had run aground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tall fallen, crouched low to the floor. Its four long muscled arms clasped together in deep meditation as the insectlike thrall and acolytes surrounding it had knelt. Behind it were more of those metal totem cages that the chieftains used, infusing it with void energy and causing the entire group to glow. Unlike the previous Barons she had faced, this one had two massive horns protruding out from the sides of his head, resembling the crest of a hive knight. She wasn’t sure if they were naturally grown or had been grafted on.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Mindbender.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Chief Shipwright Cellek gave a low whistle as he saw the jumpship being towed into the hangar. First, his admiration came from the swept lines and stark gray of its appearance, which made it look like a black shark that cut effortlessly through water. Much of the ship was either smooth and streamlined and in others had sharp edges for aerodynamics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A former Crow, he had retired from active duty to pursue his original dream of flying before the mandated military service and his exceptional espionage skills landed him in the elite intelligence agency headed by the late Prince Uldren Sov. Like many of his peers, he didn’t care for Sov at all, remembering him coming off as arrogant and full of himself. Once his time was up and he had to practically haggle Reef leadership for his pension, he enjoyed retirement before he got bored and began flying again. And just after the Taken War, he had applied and was granted the job as the chief shipwright. It kept him out of trouble and he found that guardians weren’t always what the rest of his people described as self-centered and entitled dead things. If anything, they had great stories to tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced back to see the hunter who was also watching as his crew parked and locked the ship down in one of the far clamps. Even just an outside glance told him that this ship would be in need of some deep surgery before she could fly again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter jogged over, he was a human male with buzzed jet black hair and slightly tanned skin with a five o'clock shadow starting to grow from going unshaven. Cellek gave a friendly wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You the owner of this one?” He pointed towards the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Engines shot to shit, armor plating buckled and your hull integrity got shot up so much I’m amazed you landed out here in one piece, let alone actually fly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded slowly, turning to the awoken woman striding beside him. Ailsa glared at him and put her hands on her hips. He recognized her as the guardian staying behind to help deal with the aftermath of the dark ether dirty bombs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay what did you do this time?” She asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax Mom, nothing too strenuous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cellek watched the banter, clearly amused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what you always say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s true.” Marcus told her. “If I told you the whole story...let’s just say that it should stay between us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh do tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Cellek joined in. “I love a good story, no matter how much you hunters exaggerate things. Consider it a courtesy since I’ll be overseeing your ship repairs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus saw that he wasn’t going to get out of it either. “Fine. Long story short, Jadyn and I run into the Mad Bomber, who decides to take us on a wild goose chase in the Wailing Pass with a starship grade splinter mine. It was simple, get up there and disarm it. That’s when a bunch of enemy fighters decided to show up and chase me down, all part of the Bomber’s plan to keep us from working together. Jadyn dealt and killed him. I had the job of getting them off me, hence the scorched armor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that doesn’t explain all the damage. Some of it was from explosions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded. “Well we had to get rid of the splinter mine somehow. Solomon couldn’t disarm it in time and I knew even if Onyx helped, it wouldn’t have mattered much either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what did you do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I grabbed the mine with my tow cable. Jumped to NLS and disarmed the jump as soon as I could and ejected it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you risked yourself doing that?!” They knew that the drive wouldn't recharge in time, so he had to dodge the splinter charges to buy himself some time and actually survive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s better than the Reef being nothing but a memory right? And if it means my ship gets a few scratches, then it’s worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved a lot of our hides then.” Cellek said. “The Reef owes you. And I’ll be sure to get your ship back up and running, though I think that a lot of parts are going to be only obtainable in your City. You ever decide to stick around longer, you’ll be as much feared amongst the outlaws as the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sunhawk</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Your paint job will be more than enough to add to the fear factor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded, satisfied with that. He also knew the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sunhawk</span>
  </em>
  <span> as the stuff of legend from pilots, told through fearful whispered tales around the Reef of it prowling through like a shark. “That’s good enough. Just get her back into shape so I can fly her home. I’ve got people there that can make her running again like a finely oiled machine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In truth, the only person he really trusted to make repairs was Amanda Holliday. Nobody knew sparrows and jumpships like the quirky blonde.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bidding their farewells, Marcus and Ailsa went back into the Dasa Base, striding past the busy marble hall area to the Hunter Wing, located at the back of the ground level. Inside each of the three guardian class wings were the small dormitories and individual rooms that were made from the rather large cellars constructed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you talked to Jadyn since we got back?” He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Ailsa turned to look at him. “Is everything okay between you two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Yeah things are fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would assume so, since you two haven’t ripped out each other’s throats yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s tolerable.” Ailsa’s smirk grew as Marcus said that. “We’re making it work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what are you two gonna do now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably go back. Finish what we started. Make cocksucker Uldren keep looking over his shoulder now that we’re knocking down his followers one by one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m still tied up here trying to clean up the mess. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to join you guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d be more than ready to go back. But,” he jerked a thumb to the banged up <em>Raythe</em> where Cellek and a couple of his staff were already hard at work on the engines, bringing out equipment to take bits of it apart. “She’s not going anywhere for at least a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you two will have to just cozy up in her ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Ever since she introduced him to Jadyn when she joined Razoredge, he had subtly suspected her in trying to set them up together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you play nice if you both sleep in the same ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Marcus groaned. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re acting like I’ve never slept with a woman before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course it wasn’t true. Ailsa knew a number of his flings, most of them while Eric was around. Once his best friend died, it had felt like he had no interest in courting someone of the opposite sex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll sleep in the cockpit chair or something. An easy fix.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s uncomfortable as hell.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you guys are!” They were interrupted by Jadyn bounding over to their spot in the Hunter wing. Ailsa rose to give her friend a hug while Marcus pretended to be distracted by something uninteresting. Onyx detected a slight increase in her guardian's heartbeat as he saw her. “I’m sorry for keeping both you waiting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it’s fine. Did you sleep well this time around?” Ailsa asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Better, but not good enough. But we need to get back to the Tangled Shore right away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well lucky for you, Marcus is ready to go! He’s even packed his sleeping gear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?! No! Hey, I didn’t agree to this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on, for real.” Marcus stopped her as Jadyn was practically ready to bounce out of the Dasa mansion like a jackrabbit. “What’s the rush in getting back? I thought you hated how cold and windy it was there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was practically bubbling with excitement. “It’s a really long story. I’ll tell you the whole thing as we fly over. In short, I know where Uldren is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got a reaction out of her two fellow hunters. “Where is he?” Ailsa asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s preparing his ship to fly to Earth. I don’t know where he’s going or why, but that’s his destination. We can catch him before he leaves the Reef!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The awoken Hunter shot to her feet, “I’ll inform Petra. She'll have contacts to be able to triangulate his location.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she was gone; Marcus looked at her, “Okay, what’s the plan? We go back to Earth and take him out? How exactly did you find out that’s where he is going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Mindbender.” Jadyn answered. “Hiraks, the Mindbender has that ability to tap and unravel people’s minds. He’s somehow gotten into mine and I shared this consciousness with Uldren. That’s how I knew where he was heading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw his expression harden, guessing that it didn’t sit well with him. But she wasn’t sure if it was from the fact or rather he was jealous.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s not the jealous type.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The mind reading thing is a two way transit.” She explained to him. ”Solomon’s idea, not mine. I figured it out hopefully without tipping them off. Most people who are weak minded are so stunned that someone’s doing this, they don’t realize the other end can be probed just as much as theirs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s what you did.” Marcus’ mouth formed an “O” with an understanding. “You learned as much about him as he did you. What did you give him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just that I’m a grieving guardian like he imagined and that I’m going to make his death painful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you said?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be the one to kill you. And the only disappointment...is that I only get to do it once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus raised an eyebrow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s definitely not one to piss off. Period.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that’s not the important part. I know where Uldren is going and where we can put him down. We need to leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on a second, maybe we should relay that to Petra.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made that pouty face that clearly showed she didn’t agree with him. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we go after Uldren, he’s gonna know we’re coming if you’re mind linked to him. We need to go after the one responsible, the Mindbender. Think you can use that link to find him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face cracked into a grin as she realized his plan. “It’ll be fun watching Uldren go crazy because we’re killing off his lap dogs one by one. What do you say; wanna make him squirm again?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Hiraks, the Mindbender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Greetings. I hope everyone is ready for another chapter. This was another fun one and I'm still having fun with these creative liberties and extra little flairs I find myself adding onto the game to make things more interesting. The Mindbender was a bit of a challenge and turned out to be much longer than expected. But here we are.<br/>Enjoy everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hiraks, the Mindbender knelt on the floor again, centered on a library within the wreckage of the crashed tombship. Surrounding him were a trove of insectlike hive creatures that bowed, following his lead as they chanted incantations which only served to amplify the void energy that pulsed through the metal totems surrounding him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head bobbed up and down, an almost comical sight with the oversized horns that looked as if they had been grafted into his skull. Further out were lined shelves of a library where timeless information on hive magics, spells and texts that were as old as the galaxy itself were stored, tended to by wizard curators.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Far from his weak and timid self when he was a lowly dreg born in the House of Exile, Hiraks was an outlier, even among his fellow Scorn eliksni. His lair, deep within the beached tombship was somewhere nobody dared to venture, even his devoted leader the Fanatic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was here, where he was aided by the witches mindbent to his will, where he could maximize his unnatural ability to probe and unravel the minds of his enemies. Hence his nickname.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than his usual study of the hive, the Prince himself had asked him specifically to target one specific individual. The one that was after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he considered it a wasted effort, he knew that Uldren’s own ambitions were separate from his own. And as long as they never interfered, he had no trouble doing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if the mind of a dead thing was bland.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn saw many things in her shared mindset with Uldren and she still couldn’t determine what he was really after that required that blasphemous connection. One memory that stood out to her that was somehow Uldren's. Devastation, piles of bodies killed by raw lightning, to the point where the normally beautiful awoken skin was charred black. Many lay with barely distinguishable features down to even the victim’s sex. Children weren’t spared either.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She saw two figures standing amongst the carnage. One was easily identified as Uldren by his greased hair, dark set of armor and ragged cloak. Unlike the previous times where she had seen him, he was shown here as disheveled, his clothes and armor scuffed from fights. The collar was soaked in dark awoken blood that stained his outfit. His eyes were clouded with an inky blackness she knew was definitely abnormal for their kind, but they retained that arrogant hardness that she hated about him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The towering eliksni wore a mixture of gold and white, elegant, but powerful combat robes buckled together with sleek armor plating. The mask was ornately decorated, flanked by the fur pelt worn on the back with a banner of a towering beam separated by a perfect circle.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn watched as Uldren communicated with the large eliksni. Judging by the armor configuration and the fact that he consumed a lot of ether, she had to guess this was a kell. And the banner was the House of Kings.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Your concern is noted, Craask.” Uldren said rather dismissively. She now saw that he looked a bit healthier prior to his escape from the Prison and had to guess this had occurred sometime before. “But it will not be rewarded. We cannot go back on tradition now. If us as kindred spirits are to survive, we must adapt.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Craask hissed, chittering and growling in his language that she couldn’t comprehend. Ailsa would know, but alas she wasn’t there.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then perhaps it’s too bothersome for us to mutually work together. I have done what you asked, yet you wish to continue in the pace that kept yourselves steady. Extinction of us is the only way we will become eternal. As the awoken are the master race of the humanoids, you could ascend to that too. But time spent has told me you will never change, cling to your old ways. So be it. The Kings have been too bothersome and our interests no longer align.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren was unfazed as Craask bristled with anger, spreading out his arms and stalking off, only to stop and turn around. When he spoke again in his own tongue, the tone was calm, but underlying a barely concealed anger.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Craask looked as if he was going to draw a weapon. Before he could reach down for the long sword on his hip, he was blasted with a lance of familiar blue-white electric energy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Immediately, two shimmering figures that were previously invisible to the naked eye had sprung to the Kell’s defense. Jadyn watched the Prince skillfully step back, avoiding a deadly swipe from Craask’s marauder bodyguards and drew his own knife, a gilded dagger that had pinkish gems lining the blade. As one of them jumped at him again, he parried the blow easily with his arm, thrusting the dagger straight into the opening underneath the eliksni’s mask. Ether hissed out violently in a stream of whitish smoke and he spun to face the other.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The bodyguard’s partner was a bit more hesitant, but Uldren was not. He lunged forth, knocking one of the alien’s knives out of its hand with a swinging kick and weaved behind, where he grabbed the marauder’s body and slammed it into the ground not unlike a wrestling throw. He stabbed it in the same area as its partner where it met a similar fate.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Craask’s pride kept him from engaging Uldren himself, but with his own surprise attack failing, he had no other choice but to survive, even though crushing a mere awoken was no problem to him. He reeled from the lightning blast, but instead of finding the small prince by himself to squish, he was face to face with another fallen that was just as big as himself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn recognized him as the Fanatic, the pale mottled skin with plates of mismatched brown and brass armor as well as that ridiculous key-head helmet he wore that covered his eyes and mouth.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Craask looked like he was about to question, but thought better of it, beginning to swing his sword. He was quick.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fikrul was quicker.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He spun the staff, the long crystalline object whetted into a pointed blade, slashing at Craask’s outstretched arm. It sliced effortlessly through the armor and clothing, severing the limb and leaving a ghastly white trail of ether and blood in a cleanly hewn cut. The Kell was so stunned at losing his weapon that Fikrul had enough time to slash again, dismembering yet another arm.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry it has to be this way Craask.” Uldren remarked sardonically. The former mighty leader of the House of Kings was forced to his knees and glared at Uldren in defiance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn watched, her expression unchanged as both of them docked the remaining two of Craask’s arms. The vision began to fade, but she was pretty sure that the both of them were right about to deliver the killing blow as it went black.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Marcus barely heard it, but he thought he heard Jadyn stifle a moan as she slept in her small bed just behind the cockpit. He glanced back, seeing nothing unusual other than the fact she had shifted her sleeping posture. Her hair fanned out on the pillow and she seemed to like having the blanket draped over her shoulders. He saw her eyes closed and her mouth just slightly parted, despite her breathing through her nose. Onyx one time leaked out from Solomon that when she was really tired, she softly snored.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx made a sound as if she was clearing her throat, snapping her guardian out of his daydreaming. He realized he was staring at her the whole time his ghost noticed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Great. Now she probably thinks I’m some kind of pervert.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t help but appreciate her slender, curvy frame, her hips, her bre-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, you really need to stop. You’re supposed to not be able to stand her remember?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late. Now he was face to face with two ghosts, Solomon joining Onyx.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you eyeballing my guardian?” The former asked, his voice edging on protectiveness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh...no. Sorry.” He sheepishly admitted. “I heard her move when she was sleeping.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably her telepathic resonance with Uldren.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus felt himself get irritated at that. He had heard the bond phenomenon which usually occurred between awoken, sometimes rumored to be soulmates. But Jadyn wasn’t awoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mindbender?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He can amplify them, if I’m reading the Prison of Elders dossier correctly.” Onyx said. “But Jadyn was right. She could use it to find answers herself. I’m guessing when she wakes up, she’ll know where the Mindbender is lurking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we take him out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded, hurrying back to the cockpit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soooo,” Onyx started as she floated to his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say a goddamn word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t.” She smugly said. “Not yet at least. But I think now Solly’s onto you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The male hunter sighed and rubbed his temples, half concentrated on flying the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. With the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Raythe</span>
  </em>
  <span> out for repairs, it meant the two of them would have to put up with one another in her ship. It was more roomy and more livable than his own ship’s cramped quarters, but he didn’t mind having to sleep in the impromptu cockpit seat as long as it wasn’t completely uncomfortable. Anything beat sleeping on a rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now my ghost is onto me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you know Solly’s reservations about his guardian dating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus gave her a puzzled look. “She liked to go to the clubs with those friends of hers all the time when we were off duty to hook up with boys. What’s the difference?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s because you’re her teammate and if I might add; the only think keeping her from blitzing into Uldren and the Barons’ lair guns blazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’d lose if she did that, even for someone like her. I can’t let her do that. She means too much to the City.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Onyx told him. “You’re keeping her from needlessly risking herself. If anything, you’re the better person here...the voice of reason. And yes, part of it is because I don't think you just like her. I think you’re in love with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah hold on,” Marcus stopped her. “You just said thirty seconds ago that I like her. We basically jumped from zero to a hundred in that time. What changed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s part of the fact that you talk like you really care about her. She means too much to the City. I happen to think that applies to you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunter sighed. “Ugh, okay fine. I won’t admit it right away. Jadyn drives me nuts all the time...but I also think she’s pretty amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty or amazing?” Onyx asked, a light teasing tone to her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both. Pretty and amazing. But we have a mission to focus on, we can’t let our own feelings get in the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you ask me, they already have. You’ll be carrying her in your arms before long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus said nothing for the remainder of the flight.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn came to as he settled the ship back in their usual grove where it was concealed and guarded from scavs or bandits who saw things left alone as ripe for picking for parts. Marcus heard her yawn and sit up as he settled the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span> back into the ground and started the power down sequence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enjoy your nap?” He called from the cockpit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Her answer came back sleepily. “Sucks when you can’t properly sleep when your body wants to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know the feeling.” It was hard to look away when he swiveled around from the pilot’s seat to see her figure, but he was pretty sure Jadyn was some sort of model or even supermodel in her past life. With the white sleepwear she wore over her legs and breasts, she looked incredibly sexy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s enough. You’re being a creep.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He swiveled back, shutting down the remainder of her ship. “Did you get what we needed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sort of. I kind of know that the Mindbender lurks within the depths of the hive tombship that’s beached on the Shore. He’s a guy that’s obsessed with the Hive and reports said that he could control a brood of his own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He has the power to unravel people’s minds, take command of the Hive, basically fuck with us.” Jadyn’s voice dropped and quavered. Marcus could see now that she had her Frumious set of armor back on, minus her helmet. “I’m not going to lie. I’m scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded. “Me too. We’ve never gone after a guy dangerous like this. But I got your back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I have yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two hunters stood looking at one another for just a moment before breaking gazes. It was time to gear up and get ready for their mission.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The beached tombship lay in a section of the Shore called the Jetsam of Saturn. It had come to a rest on the top of three rocks, all supporting it from rolling over on the dirty road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People steered clear of this place. Unlike the fallen that were reasonable, the hive were less so and often shot first before asking questions, even if they could be interpreted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t stop the scorn though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many of them were already trading gunfire with the pockets of hive that milled around as the guardians rode their sparrows into the pass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before they headed that way; they took another visit to Spider’s Lair, collecting bounties for the remaining Barons that were still low on the totem pole. The Mindbender, Hangman and Rifleman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two best be careful out there.” Spider wheezed as Shank turned the datapad over for them to sign the contract. “These three are the most dangerous outside the Fanatic and Machinist themselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them particularly liked fighting against hive. Most guardians hated it. They were innumerable, lived in catacombs that ran underground for miles. Once they were rooted in someplace, it was all but impossible to get rid of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not to mention the biomass was all sticky, gooey, slimy, foul muck that smelled awful. It was indescribable...and even worse when it got into a mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made sure we got extra doses of Hiveitacin.” Solomon told them as Onyx nodded. “Chances are we’re gonna need it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good idea. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what we’re here for.” Solomon said proudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus surveyed the area with his sniper rifle. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary other than the warring scorn and hive, who were too interested in killing each other off than a pair of guardians. “Where do we start? It’s not like the Mindbender’s gonna be out in the open.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn racked her brain. “Underground, that’s where he’ll be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s like three dozen tunnels under here alone,” Marcus snapped. “You gotta be specific.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt the irritation creep up, but smothered it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now isn’t the time to argue.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or we can stop and ask the hive. They seem like the friendly type.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay now you’re being sarcastic.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just...keep looking.” Solomon sensed a bit of tension rising between the guardians and he didn’t really want them to waste their efforts trying to rib each other. “Maybe we can find something close by.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Most groups of hive patrols were easily dispatched as they combed through the Jetsam of Saturn. As they made their way down, they saw numerous pitch black tunnels that led into the depths of hive breeding grounds. Their boots crunched on biomass that was slick with a slimy film and shells that resembled ocean barnacles. There were also dark lumps on the ground. Hive droppings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn resisted the urge to gag and not look at them. The old guardian saying of never to fight hive on an empty stomach rang true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes of searching, they actually came across something of interest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This looks like a synaptic amplifier. Like those totems the chieftains use.” Solomon flew closer, flaying his scanning beam over its rusted metal booms. “There’s hive glyphs all over the casing too. Maybe it’s something that helps the Mindbender assume control over the hive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re saying he’s got an entire sect that devotes itself to him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see why not.” Solomon scanned it again. “It’s got an origin point that I managed to trace back to a cave nearby that’s underneath the ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He set a waypoint, easily giving them access and direction. Thankfully, they were in a crevice that led right towards one of the dark tunnels. Part of it was illuminated by bright orange and green lamps that swung precariously from overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus took point, scanning the room with his submachine gun and motioned her forward. As she crept up next to him, they were stacked by the entrance of another large chamber that looked as if it had once been a breeding ground. Small holes that were about man-sized were in the ground and on the walls. No shells or thick membranes remained though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What did draw their attention was an active amplifier totem in the center. It pulsed bright purple void energy, spreading out to a dozen or so thrall that were kneeling over in a fetal position.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand gripped Trust, a little surprised the two hunters hadn’t been noticed yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced at Marcus and he gave her a barely perceptible nod, his aim tightening on his gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had a grenade in hand, tossing the tripwire through the air. The adhesive stuck onto the amplifier and the sensor sensed the nearby hive, detonating in a loud thumping noise. The void energy seemed to shield the hive from the attack, but with the amplifier destroyed, there was no more of the strange energy around them. The thrall snapped their jaws angrily and snarled at the guardians before blindingly rushing them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus opened fire, their rounds easily cutting through their paper thin skin and the heat from the rounds caused them to dissolve into ashes. There was more shuffling heard from behind and she turned to see another horde of thrall, this one even larger than the one in the chamber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah I know!” They spun around, firing as the thrall rushed them, some falling over themselves and others behind tripping over their downed comrades in a frenzy to get at the guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stowed his submachine gun and drew a grenade launcher she had never seen before. It was black and green in color from Veist origin, but as he fired it, the grenades seemed to skitter across the ground like spiders right for the hive. They had been so intent on getting after them, they never noticed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first grenade detonated, taking four thrall with it in a void blast. Another peeled off to the right, circling behind them and blowing. Jadyn saw the shell of an acolyte that had been hiding behind fly out. The third and fourth grenades stopped short and scuttled back to Marcus, jumping upwards. She flinched, thinking that maybe the weapon malfunctioned and were going after him. But to her surprise, they seemed to almost “fly” into the magazine’s receiver at the bottom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in the hell is that?” She asked as silence fell over them again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s called Colony.” He examined it in his hands. “Veist’s new prototype “smart” grenade launcher. Shoots little insect charges that seek out enemies. Any that don’t find a target come right back to you. It’s even more fun when you switch to airborne mode.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How come that isn’t Vanguard standard issue?” She could definitely see its practicality and secretly wanted it to try it out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because both the launcher and ammo cost more than three week’s worth Crucible earnings. And you know how I get new stuff from all these foundries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Truth be told, she was kind of jealous of how Marcus seemed to always have some new cool gear she wanted to try out. Last week was that Braytech scout rifle that he helped Ana field test and now a robot grenade launcher that basically did all the targeting for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll let you try it out while we’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon phased out and went to the remains of the amplifier. He sighed. “You two destroyed it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Found another one!” Marcus had gone a little deeper into the cavern. “It looks unused, but at least we didn’t blow it to pieces!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Solomon rushed over, seeing him next to one that had been lying on its side, but was intact. She saw that it had another lining of hive glyphs etched onto the brass metal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx was already scanning it, so the two of them kept their eyes on the tunnels and holes in the area, ready for movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>None came when she finished. “I’ve got the coordinates for the true origin. The signal is coming from the other side of that crashed tombship.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They headed back outside, ducking in the trench area as the groups of scorn and hive continued to trade fire. Jadyn took point as Marcus scanned up top with his weapon, ready to put down anyone that looked down to see them passing through. The crevice wound through the front, narrowing at a hole that looked big enough for a thrall to crawl through to the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both stood in front of it, glancing at each other. The hole and tunnel was only large enough for one to go through at a time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re on point.” Marcus said. “After you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glared at him. “What, so you can look at my ass again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just go. If it makes you feel any better, tell me it’s clear and then I’ll make my way through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To keep it rather clean, Solomon transmatted her cloak off. She sighed and crouched down slowly, pausing for a moment to look back. Marcus was watching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost feeling like he was rolling his eyes, he shuffled back and aimed down the corridor they came through. Satisfied, she got on her hands and knees, sliding on her stomach through the twelve foot stretch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully there wasn’t anything extremely foul that close to her, but as she put weight on some of the barnacle shells, there was an audible pop as whatever fluid inside smeared onto her armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is going right in the decon as soon as we’re done here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She emerged on the other side, finding another open area to where she could see the sky. In the center was a large platform and an even bigger amplifier that was instead glowing bluish white. Both scorn and hive milled about here, but strangely enough neither one cared about the others’ presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus emerged from behind her, similarly covered in slime of his armor. He flicked what he could off with his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nasty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They picked up their weapons, moving close to the center. The amplifier seemed to be affecting both the scorn and hive. Jadyn knew that them being there would likely mean having to fight both factions at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I’m on it.” He phased back, scanning the big device with his beam. “This one’s got a safeguard, give me a minute to work on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knew that as soon as he began tampering, it would cause the scorn and hive surrounding to attack. Marcus seemed to understand and used his wire to slide to a vantage point where he drew his sniper rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like a switch had been thrown, the aliens shook their heads, rounding on the guardians and opening fire in moments. Jadyn stayed close to a pillar beside the amplifier, aiming Trust. She put a round in an acolyte’s head, causing it to burst into flames and incinerate another two beside it. Behind her, she could hear Marcus’ sniper clap and echo through the chamber and see thin lines of smoke of where his rounds traveled. He seemed to be focused on the scorn that had an angle at her while she took care of the hive. She realized she had been completely exposed and open to their fire, but Marcus held their attention as a harder target rather than her as an easy picking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reinforcements!” Onyx cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced up, sure enough she could see more scorn phasing into existence by the dark ether trails. Two tall chieftains deployed a pair of totems, which began to shield them with void energy. Snipers flanked them, firing their rifles at Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him curse and reposition behind another pillar, using the wire to keep himself attached to the side while using the flat top area to steady his rifle. Making matters worse was the swarm of hive that came from behind the scorn. They passed the undead aliens, making straight way for Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fired Trust again, burning out the thrall with the explosive dragonfly rounds as a knight ran up to her, brandishing a wicked looking bone sword. Jadyn disengaged, ignoring the fire the chieftains tried to hit her with and dodged a deadly swipe. Her knife was in hand as she rolled underneath a second swipe, completely exposing the larger creature’s side and putting her in a prime position to embed the blade straight between an opening of its ribs. The knight growled in annoyance, slashing downwards to try and shake her off, but she spun with it like a dervish. Her foot kicked its knee to stun it briefly before she jumped up yet again to stab it in its glowing green eye. As it roared in pain, she finished it off with another knife in her second hand to put it down for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had managed to take out one of the totems and had forced the chieftains to retreat back. They fired more void buzzsaw rounds from their elevated position, but he couldn’t really flush them out without giving himself up for the snipers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn peered around the pillar, seeing one sniper moving to its right. She glanced back at Marcus’ position. He’d be blindsided by that one in just a few seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her grapple wire shot out, snaring the creature in a tangled mess. As it feebly resisted, she yanked on it and put it down with Trust before it had a chance to escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” He answered rather breathlessly. “I’m almost done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn heard and saw Marcus’ Colony grenades up above, rocketing forward and curving around the areas of cover to explode. There was the unmistakable sound of a shield popping and the detonations had forced the chieftain out of hiding. Jadyn spun Trust’s cylinder, fanning the hammer to put the rest of her remaining rounds through its body.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Show off.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, the two of them worked together remarkably. Marcus still kept the sniper’s attention, so when Jadyn fired Trust at it, it dashed out of sight, reappearing on a higher ledge. Unfortunately, leaving its cover exposed it to Marcus’ scope. She heard another thunderclap and saw its head disappear in a puff of blue ether. Jadyn in the meantime focused on the remainder of the hive. Within a few seconds, the chamber had been cleared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice work.” Solomon vanished. “That was the last amplifier. The signal we’re tracking now is the source itself. The Mindbender.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Good. The sooner we kill him, the sooner I can get rid of these shared visions.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded, stepping forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then her entire world went black.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her eyes snapped open the moment something was wrong. And it was...very very wrong.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She wanted to scream, shout, do something. But her limbs refused to respond, as if she was chained to the floor of a lake. Her entire body felt a cool wetness envelope itself. Light filtered from the top, only penetrating just a few meters and through the stinging sensation in her eyes, she couldn’t see how far down she was kept.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It felt like torture. Her breath threatening to spill from her lips and nose, yet somehow she didn’t experience the feeling of being drowned despite having done so before. She knew firsthand that it was among the most unpleasant ways to die regardless if it would be her final death or not.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn’s eyes were drawn to something reflecting off the dim light as it moved. Shapes came into focus, a mixture of grays, blacks and a stark white.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She still felt like screaming.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Marcus! Solomon!” But her voice never materialized. Maybe her fellow hunter could somehow hear her plea and rush to her aid.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You would want that.” A familiar male voice called out to her. Jadyn looked around, but her bindings prevented her from really seeing. Her hair fanned out above as if she were underwater.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A masculine figure stood opposite her in between the two closest and she was now able to make out that it was a man and a woman at an altar. The remains of a wedding.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“For your little prince charming to come, sweep you up and take you away into the sunset to make sweet love.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn’s eyes narrowed and she tried reaching to her Light. It was impossible. Despite solar being able to burn brightly, even underwater, it felt like she was powerless and drowning in a sea of inky darkness that had no end...only for her to barely cling to an inch of life to go through the same ordeal again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She could now discern the man’s features, a rather handsome cut of hair swept to one side and his attire matched the one standing opposite the bride at the wedding altar.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn felt familiar at the scene. She just couldn’t figure it out. The man almost looked like Uldren...but he was human. So clearly it was NOT him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She just couldn’t put a name to the face. No matter how hard she racked her brain. He was clearly important to her somehow.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, the bride. A toned, slim figure, five foot seven. Copper red hair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You weren’t good enough for me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Guardian?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s eyes blinked open and she glanced up through her helmet’s visor at a pair of ghosts and another human squatted over her. With a gasp, she sat up, finding out that she had been lying on the ground at her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ helmet was off and he stared at her with concerned eyes, gently rousing her shoulder with his hand to steady her. “Jade. Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-I. Yeah...yeah I’m okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You blacked out there for like half a second.” Solomon flashed his healing beam over her to erase the dull headache that had begun festering at the back of her head. “It’s like you went to sleep and then woke up again as soon as your head hit the ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you’re okay?” Marcus reached down and she grasped his hand, tightening her arm as he helped her up. “You can rest up at your ship. I can handle one Baron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” She shook her head. “No you can’t. I don’t want you to face the Mindbender alone. I,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay.” He reassured her. “We’ll have each others’ backs. Just...be careful. Please. The City needs you and I’d hate to file a report saying you risked yourself to kill one fallen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not to mention that I’m probably hopelessly falling in love with you like a damn idiot.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So let’s take things steady.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded and took point, the two of them heading into the maw of the downed tombship, slightly wondering how far inside they’d have to venture to flush the elusive Baron out.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“This guy’s file says he’s obsessed with creating his own throne world. Like Crota and Oryx had. The Mindbender thinks he can create it by killing more and more powerful beings.” Solomon said. “But something like that should only work for the hive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus surveyed the back. “Then perhaps this thing decided to jump the species barrier. It’s not like they abide by the regular laws of physics in any other way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo had wandered the twisted winding corridors of the tombship, which was thankfully a bit cleaner than the outside. The biomass was replaced by gothic stony patterns on the floor, everything having a vibe of hostility, barbarism and death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had been on the Dreadnaught many times for both patrol and to slay the Taken King and she felt like getting used to it was never going to happen. Not naturally at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m picking up movement on our trackers.” Onyx said quietly after a few minutes of navigating. Jadyn was relying on her own memory and whatever she may have probed. Marcus followed, both to keep an eye on her and trusting that she knew where she was going. It was ramp after ramp as they descended further and further inside. No hive resisted them other than the occasional group of thrall or lone acolyte which was covertly taken out by throwing knives or grapple wires.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like we’re on the right track.” Jadyn said as they approached another widening chamber. Several figures kneeling down immediately put the hunters on high alert. Jadyn could see the bony limbs of thrall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another amplifier.” Solomon said. “It’s making them docile. Like back up on the surface.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could be how the Mindbender sways the Hive into following him.” Onyx suggested. “I would think that once you destroy the device, it’ll return the hive back to their normal behavior.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus shared a glance before nodding as both opened fire on the device with their weapons. The gunfire shattered it, breaking the thrall and trio of acolytes at the far end out of their trance. They saw the skeletal aliens sniff the air and snarl at the presence of the two lightbearers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus chattered his submachine gun as Jadyn lobbed a grenade and a fan of her knives. The explosive killed two of the acolytes in the back as her other weapon cleared out the thrall that rushed forward who happened to survive his gunfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The third acolyte tried to make a final stand, arming a burning grenade in its hand, but Jadyn slid out of cover again, dropping it with Trust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m marking the paths we go down, just so we don’t get lost.” Solomon said. “No telling how deep or a nexus we’re getting into.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No kidding.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, scorn awaited them at the end of the ominous corridor. A few raiders opened fire on them with their rifles as a hulking abomination lashed out with its meaty hands to blast at them with lightning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ Colony fired more smart grenades, homing in on the smaller foes as he was struck with that overcharged ether. He grunted and staggered back, but to their horror, it seemed to only empower him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a chilling laugh, he summoned a staff of Arc light, twisting into a jump around another blast and slashing away. The massive mongrel raised its arms to slam down on him, but the hunter was too quick, jumping back and sliding underneath to swipe again at its side and then vaulting onto its back to drive the barbed end inside. He jumped off as the staff faded as it collapsed in a pile of burnt ether and rotted flesh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next area went into a spiraling flight of stairs and through a small gap in the wall, they could see a towering plane in the center, multiple levels like a pyramid, ramps connecting the level superior. More hive were down there, thrall, acolytes, knights, even a pair of wizards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One figure stood out from the rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw him and blinked.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It is alive.” She heard a smooth rich voice that hadn’t been seen in years. “And it still has its ball.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn glanced around, finding herself in that same prison underwater, her arms and legs immobile as if chained to the seafloor. She didn’t dare open her mouth, yet the urge for oxygen was growing by the second.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her own anger manifested once again as the figure next to the female seated on the throne had turned. Uldren gave no indication that he was surprised or moved.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“There is no shame in running away guardian,” He had waved his arms as if to mock her. “Apart from the cowardice and failure of it, it is a rather excellent strategy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn wanted right then and there to again clock the smug look off his punchable face. If anything, it only amused him more. The more he got a reaction out of her, the better in his eyes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We didn’t run.” Jadyn had said.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Was there no Gate Lord slain brother?” His sister, Queen Mara Sov asked from her perch on the throne.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh we slayed a Gate Lord!” Solomon boasted. “And to think you even doubted us.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Prove it,” Uldren’s scowl deepened and he stepped forward. “Otherwise I could have you thrown into a cell for wasting our time.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn paused, turning to Solomon at her side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He transmatted the object in question, a massive circular head of a vex minotaur that was ten times her size. It had taken quite a bit of work with her knife and sword to fully slice it free.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She tried not to laugh at Uldren’s expression of shock and lividness.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, take that fuckface.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We need to find the Black Garden.” Jadyn repeated. She almost sounded like a malfunctioning frame when it was fatally struck and looped on a single line.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren scoffed, “They don’t even know where it is.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Let us tell them.” Mara said dismissively. “Search the Gate Lord for that which gains them entrance.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why?” She saw him whirl around. “If you wish them certain death, just kill them here and now!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn noticed that Mara’s unblinking stance was enough to make her spine shiver. Her expression never changed either.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Often when we guess at one another’s motives, we only reveal our own.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She resisted the urge to throw a taunting smile and could even tell that Uldren had been outplayed by his own sister.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren however seemed unperturbed by the gesture. “My motive is simply loyalty to my people, a Queen and a sister.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Then take what is required.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Prince grumbled something under his breath and unsheathed a gold knife that was studded with ornate markings and jewels. He flipped it casually in his hand, crouching next to the head and driving in inside. Jadyn and Mara watched him work in silence.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren pulled out wires, metal and parts she didn’t recognize...then again, she was too busy destroying them to actually do a breakdown and see their function.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Uldren held a small circular object that glowed red. It slowly faded until it was inert.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dead, unfortunately. A wasted journey I’m afraid.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jadyn was afraid she’d lash out, having to go all the way to Venus to slay a gate lord and then come back to have to squeeze every ounce of effort out of the awoken. Were they going to help her or not?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Perhaps,” Mara purred. “But I think this one is resourceful. We gift it to them, in sympathy for their Traveler.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In sympathy?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She watched Uldren hold up the eye and glance at her. “Mars, Eighty-four north, thirty-two east. Meridian Bay.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He tossed the eye to her. Solomon transmatting it into his storage bank once she caught it. Behind him, Mara stood up and regarded Jadyn with steely eyes. “I have shown you benevolence guardian. Should the awoken ever need an ally, I will call on you. And expect you to answer.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She’s saying,” Uldren’s tone grew more bitter as he sheathed the knife. “You owe us, guardian.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As much as she wanted to spit something equally scathing, Jadyn gave a polite bow as courtesy of the culture’s formalities. She was also pretty sure that a human doing such a gesture would be perceived as condescending, but it was still the polite thing to do. “I understand. Your grace. Thank you for your help.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then she turned around to leave, escorted by a pair of corsairs.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Good luck!” Uldren called from behind. “Getting through the exclusion zone!”</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Marcus whispered rather loudly, arousing Jadyn from her stupor. “Jade! You did it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” She blinked and found herself lying against the wall. Another look into the chamber below suggested that the Mindbender nor his hive were aware of their presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He knows.” She said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knows? Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Mindbender. He knows we’re coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stopped short, knowing that the element of surprise was off their list. So much for such an efforted stealthy approach. “Then let’s not disappoint.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He helped her to her feet before they grabbed their weapons and descended down. Their pace harried, with the underlying feeling that a trap awaited them at the bottom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s heart hammered in her chest and her breathing quickened.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s okay. It’s okay. He got into your head. What’s the worst he could have done?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing and knowing Solomon was with her, as were Marcus and Onyx seemed to calm her a little bit. However the anxiety remained. What if she had run herself and him into a trap? She’d never forgive herself if neither of them walked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hive were waiting for them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they were in the room, the acolytes opened fire, filling the entrance with streaks of purple void bolts. The thrall sprinted forward, some of them getting cut down by their own allies holding the shredder pistols. Marcus cut down several of them with his submachine gun as Jadyn tossed another tripwire grenade to kill the rest. With them out of the way, they could focus on the acolytes, which smartly stayed back to provide cover fire. She saw the wizards growl and retreat, vanishing into holes up in the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender growled, speaking in some unintelligible language as he wielded a massive boomer, the hive heavy armament that fired star shaped explosives. He took aim at Marcus. The hunter barely dodged as it fired at a quick rate, blistering the edge of a wall with raw energy. As he ran for cover, she could see the Baron set up another amplifier, casting a bright purple void barrier across himself and all the hive supporting him. It was a little far for her hand cannon to reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not Marcus’ rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard it crack and shatter the totem and knew that this was her chance. Cloaking herself in solar light, she sprung from her hiding place, spinning around in midair to unleash a blade barrage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the acolytes and a knight were immediately felled, collapsing into the ground before flames and red hot energy incinerated them where they stood. However the Mindbender seemed ready, manifesting a chitin shield out of seemingly nowhere and holding it above as if an umbrella to shield him from the hailstorm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn cursed as the Mindbender snapped his head in her direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you do, don’t look into his eyes. That’ll put you back in that stupor.” Solomon warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heeded it, instead focusing on his tree trunk like legs as they shuffled at the top of the pyramid structure. His boomer made loud bangs as he fired volley after volley in both their directions. He couldn’t target either one, but another growl and slur of words sent the surviving knight into a frenzy. It drew a long bone sword and started towards Marcus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt a pang of worry, but knew that her partner would easily handle a single knight. She focused on the Mindbender, using its attention on Marcus to move closer. Without looking at him directly, she could see something metal protruding from his skull in between his horns that seemed to direct the amplifier’s signals to the hive he commanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she could get him to fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her finger itched on the shotgun and she spun out of cover, pointing the muzzle of it down and aiming for the Baron’s knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, the portal shimmered open into a hypnotic wave of green and black. Figures moved from behind as a wave of thrall came to his defense. The Mindbender swiveled around to see her. She was caught right in the open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than open fire on her with his boomer, he had raised a foot, stomping the ground with earthshaking force. Jadyn’s body went numb and the air rushed past. Her head hit something hard and she felt more than one bone break in her arm and chest. The pain took just a couple of seconds to register in her brain, but Solomon was already busy healing her. She was too winded and wheezing to properly scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arc energy sizzled off to her right as Marcus blasted the knight with lightning, sending it straight to hell. A number of thrall rushed to her, but her hand was pinned underneath her body and she wouldn’t be able to reach Trust in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw a grenade sail through the air, landing in front of her. One of Marcus’ arcbolts. He must’ve seen her go down. The charge detonated, spraying a circular blast of arc energy that electrocuted the attacking thrall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Solomon was done healing her and she jumped back in the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender didn’t seem like he wanted to stay around. He flashed them a devilish grin before running through the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He ran off.” Solomon said. “Stay on him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was barely able to read what Marcus had said before she sprinted, sliding inside with no regard.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>She had been in a throne world before; those of Crota and Oryx when she slew them. Unlike the others, the entire area was a bleak gray with clouds of dust swirling around the outer edges like they were in a vast desert, ocean of some kind. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The area was small, featuring chipped and cracked stone fortifications in stairs and ruins that looked like a giant hand had ripped them from wherever they had some from. Jadyn saw a few spots for cover and two pointed curvy rocks in the middle where the portal shimmered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure this is a good idea?” Marcus seemed to have appeared straight out of nowhere as he stumbled onto the ground. “Another throne world, this is where the Mindbender is going to be his most powerful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And also his most vulnerable.” Onyx pointed out. “We take him down here, he’s gone for good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then where is he?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The big portal shimmered to life again and they saw their quarry step out. He leered down at the guardians, but instead of attacking, he had flexed his four arms out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right in front of their eyes, they watched as he let out a feral growl and multiplied in size, now three times as tall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus swallowed nervously. Hive beings in their ascendant realms were known to be much larger than normal, wielding absolute godly power in the pocket of a nether where they created their own rules through the Sword Logic, learned courtesy of Eris Morn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did the Mindbender get a throne world this big?” Solomon asked. He figured out the answer right away. “Oh...Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He built a throne world that expanded when he aided in his death. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn thought bitterly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s gonna pay just like the others.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender growled again, firing his much bigger hive boomer launcher. The projectiles shot towards them like missiles and the hunters scattered, trying not to get disoriented as the jarring explosions rattled their teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was the first to recover, aiming Colony once again and firing a barrage of grenades. He used the missile mode, so the grenades adjusted in flight to home straight on Hiraks. Several detonated close to his horns and the massive Baron staggered, roaring in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That hurt him!” Onyx cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah he felt that!” Marcus’ voice was a bit distorted in her strat comms. “Jadyn, hit the fucker on his horns!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can do that. Wait...how am I supposed to hit him if I can’t stare at his eyes by blacking out? Marcus did it with Colony.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought manifested in her head just a moment too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus no!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the Mindbender recovered and stood back up to summon more waves of hive, he opened his eyes and turned on him. Just as he aimed his sniper scope, Hiraks stared at him, his eyes glowing the same bright white when Jadyn had been knocked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She saw his posture stiffen and he crumpled limply to the ground without so much of a sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx went into a frenzy. “What just happened?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Mindbender, he did the same thing to Marcus as he did to Jadyn!” Solomon said. “We’ll try to draw off the hive, just get him back up!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus’ anger surged even as his own vision blacked out, blotting away the dreary gray of the Ascendant Plane. He felt a restraint on his arms and legs, like chains wrapped around that tightened the more he struggled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He couldn’t see himself, only a few figures standing together in front of what looked like a pile of rubble that burned fiercely with billowing smoke.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry things had to be this way.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Me too. We can’t risk it anymore. If they get what we have, people will die. Lots of them.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dad, they’ll be here soon.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know son. It’s hard to imagine this is where we’ll be parting ways forever. You may not see her again.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s for the best, dear nephew. I wish it was another way, but I rest assured you'll one day grow into a fine young man.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus saw something in the back. Unlike the previous dark spots, it looked like a lava flow of inky blackness that swept over the hills and objects in its path, covering and tainting it until what remained was a rotting mess.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They’re coming.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We must go.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So do we. Sis, I’ll miss you. We’ll always love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Love is what drives us as a family, whether united.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Or divided.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My nephew, I’m sorry we must leave like this. But you’ll always be like a son to me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know Aunt Yuki.” Marcus heard the sound of a young man beginning to tear up just as the blackness surrounded them and closed in. “I love you so much.”</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It didn’t seem like the hive would’ve gone after the defenseless guardian after all. They attacked in her usual fashion, the thrall running ahead of their gun toting comrades to try and swarm her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn couldn’t worry about Marcus just yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fired her shotgun at the hordes of attacking thrall, knocking down several with each shell. When it ran dry, she switched to Trust, dumping the magazine. The thrall fell and dissolved into ashes, but more seemed to come and replace them. Behind were a couple of knights and an ogre, who began peppering her area with deadly void fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stowed her weapons, instead, focusing her Light. It was dimmer, flickering as if a wind threatened to snuff her flame. Her arms crossed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the thrall closed in, her arms caught ablaze so harshly that the front attackers screeched in protest. Jadyn flung them out, but instead of knives, she produced two flexible whiplike extensions of pure solar light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fire lash, as the dawnblade warlocks had called it. Ever since Jadyn had been trying to meditate like solar based warlocks, namely Jayesh Khatri, she had been learning more and more to improvise her abilities to bend cosmic Light around her besides using her golden gun or flaming knife blade barrage. Being able to breathe fire on command like she did in Kaniks’ face was improvised and she had only tried it once before. Doing that while having a sealed helmet on didn’t bode well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whips blasted back the thrall, burning them to a crisp. The knights shelled her with their boomer rounds, but not being swarmed by thrall meant she could slide into cover behind a column and reload her weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx yelled something to Marcus and she saw him roll to his feet. He was only blacked out for just a couple of seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender growled at how quickly the guardians had recovered, looking at Marcus again to try and trap him in its spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t look in his eyes!” Jadyn cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But again it was too late. Just as quickly as he recovered, he was under its spell again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus stiffened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then a blue-white arc staff crackled to life in his hands. Instead of swinging it around like he normally did, he flipped it to his right, cocked the arm back and tossed it like a spear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn knew that he had experience using a spearlike weapon back from Razoredge’s patrols and deployments on Mars with Rasputin’s Valkyrie javelin. The staff flew through the air and Hiraks was impaled on his shoulder. The force and white hot pain actually sent the Baron toppling down, leaking white ether mixed with a ghastly green smoke. Soulfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, the whole mind screwing shit.” Marcus shook his head to her side. “Not a fan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had stopped firing as his ogre marched forward. Jadyn took on a knight as Marcus slid in front of the massive hive creature, using a second staff to perform an uppercut. He took out a knife, throwing it in the eye after it reeled, causing it to crumble down in a roar of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender used the distraction to his advantage. He had opened the portal once again, running into it. Jadyn nearly took off after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Behind you!” Onyx screamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiraks simply used it to change and outflank them, leaving both hunters exposed to his boomer. It fired quickly, one charge catching Marcus and sending him rocketing into a ruined column, the armor shattering it into fragments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay!” Jadyn felt a bit of relief when he groaned afterwards. “That was not cool!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bounded back into the action, moving quicker and caught the Mindbender’s attention again. Higher in the air this time around, the arc staff was still flickering and delivering fatal charges of electricity into the wound. Hiraks swiped with his claws, but Marcus was just a bit too high.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fired his grapple onto the back, attaching on like a mosquito.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn suddenly felt worried that he would be squished or swatted away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t stand there!” Solomon chastised as she was entranced by the whole thing as he stomped around. “This is your chance!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She loaded her shotgun, charging out, using another fire lash to repel the hive trying to come to their master’s aid. The pump gun was out and she aimed at his legs, thick ropey muscle with a leathery skin underneath and covered in sharp chitin plates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shotgun kicked in her grip as she circled around, but the pellets weren’t strong enough, simply puffing out the armor and even inside the chinks seemed nothing more than a mild annoyance. Hiraks stomped the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked her back with the shotgun tumbling out of her hands. She fired her own grapple, reeling it back in before it was lost in the abyss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ submachine gun rattled off above her and she saw him riding on the back of the Mindbender’s neck as if it were a beast of burden. Like her shotgun, the weapon wasn’t doing much. Maybe it would do good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus!” She called, before her mind even registered, she had tossed the shotgun up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her throw wasn’t the best, but he seemed to have heard her because she heard his grapple sound off again and snag it out of midair. He ejected the spent shell, quickly loading it with a timely synth from Onyx and jammed the barrel into the Mindbender’s exposed head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first shot nearly snapped his wrist from the sheer recoil, but he adjusted, holding on with his left hand and using his right to fire and tucking the brace in his forearm. He felt the Mindbender growl, muttering even more as his four arms swarmed his back, trying to get the annoying gnat of a guardian off. Marcus ducked and even had to flatten himself against a small gap in between the armor plates to avoid being plucked off like an annoying fly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the shells did nothing, no ripping into skin or flesh, nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s like shooting a goddamn tree! What I’d give to have a sword.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As the Mindbender snarled again, trying to buck him off, he saw that the arc staff was still embedded in the giant’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He went after it, temporarily jumping off and sliding in between the gap where the two joints met of the upper limbs. As if attracted to him, the staff slid out of the entry wound, causing the eliksni to roar. Marcus yanked it free, using his wire to swing back onto the left horn and run across.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jumped up, ready to drive it home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Mindbender was clearly pissed. He had tried everything from shaking himself like a dog to grabbing around on his body as Marcus tried to wear him down. There had to be another way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remaining calm, he summoned more hive to his aid. Then he glanced at the hunter’s partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn circled him from below, firing Trust as best she could into the armor gaps and then switching to Sleeper Simulant. The high powered laser it refracted seemed to do more of an effect, causing the baron to stagger from the sheer damage it produced. Burns laced the chinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiraks’ fist slammed the ground in front of her and suddenly knocked her onto her back. Her eyes went wide as a pair of large purple floating orbs opened up to life and began to spray the entire area with void bolts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shriekers. Her favorite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were roughly described as floating eye turrets, watchful sentinels whose shells were impervious to even Light abilities, however in order to fire their rather annoying salvo of void projectiles, they would open up to reveal a small circular eye that could be taken down with a high caliber sniper shot. Dealing with them at a distance was best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn drew Trust, firing at the closer one, but it only seemed to get their attention and they focused on her, forcing her to backpedal to cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus help!” She cried, squeezing into what little she could to avoid their deadly void blasts. “I’m pinned!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kind of busy here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus you may have to disengage. If Jadyn dies, there’s no guarantee Solomon will be able to bring her back to aid you.” Onyx told him. “Our light struggles here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew she was right, but they were so close. They couldn’t give up now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus reared his arm back, driving the arc staff down again and this time earning a much bigger reaction from Hiraks, the large legs stumbling it forward as he toppled to the ground. He was down, but not out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was grabbing the staff as he got back up. The shriekers were still hammering at Jadyn’s cover, parts of the stony ruins beginning to break and melt from the constant barrage. Even worse, he saw another fresh wave of hive, more thrall and a couple of acolytes moving to flank her. She’d be open to them in seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jade! Your six!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He threw the staff at her, knowing she would be able to use it better than a wild toss at one of the shriekers. If he could stun the Mindbender for just a couple of seconds, he could deal with those damned things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw it coming her way, reaching out and grabbing it. Immediately the familiar arc energy coursed through her arm. She hadn’t been familiar with arc light, but the staff felt a little heavy as it crackled. Apparently it was more temperamental to her than to its original guardian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hive attacked her from behind, thrall screaming and flailing at her with their bony limbs. She ducked back, swinging it in great strokes to zap and clear them in shimmering energy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However jumping out meant that she was exposed to the shriekers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of them trained its bullets on her. Marcus saw this as a queue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dodging the Mindbender’s slammed fist again, he fired Colony’s grenades. Two coughed out, homing on one shrieker and shattering it, but the trigger clicked in response. Empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Synth?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m out!” Onyx cried. “You used most of it back at the amplifier remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus cursed again under his breath as the Mindbender reeled back up. He looked much angrier now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then something caught his eye. A glint of silver with a familiar sharp geometric design.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her Sleeper Simulant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus dove for it just as Hiraks’ boomer went off next to his ear. He was tossed into the air, landing in the middle of the area, but his fingers managed to curl around the grip in time. There was one shot left. He had to make it count.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That would also mean that he had to look at Hiraks’ eyes.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The staff finally ran out of Light as Jadyn dealt with the rest of the thrall and acolytes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However the Mindbender and the shrieker were still focused on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reached around for Sleeper, only to find it missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The void bolts came out of nowhere, splashing against her armor, pain burned its way through her arms, legs and body. There was nowhere to run, nothing left to scream. She was going to die under its eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiraks laughed, a guttural noise before he fired one last boomer shot that was the last thing she ever saw.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Jadyn’s down!” Solomon cried as Marcus had been dashing over. “Help! Her light is fading!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was ready to say that the Mindbender was too powerful and it would do them better to turn tail and run. But he thought better of it. The Baron would simply be back by undoing his own death in the physical world and the game would start all over again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon, where are you?” Marcus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m at Jadyn’s body. She’s weak and fading really fast! I don’t know how long I can keep her spark alive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Mindbender isn’t going to let up either!” He shouted back. “If we don’t kill him here, we never will. He’ll learn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but neither of you are going to like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither ghost got the chance to ask him the details. Time was of the essence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me your light. Both of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon stared blankly at him as he floated over. Marcus made sure they were hidden. Hiraks would be at them in moments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NOW!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unseen to the others, both ghosts blasted him with what they had left. Marcus felt its life giving energy flow through his arms like conduits, extensions of his own power.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I pray to the Traveler that this works.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiraks rounded the corner as both ghosts vanished from sight, not wanting to be casualties. If Solomon died, there was no way to bring Jadyn back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he wouldn't dare let that happen. Not when he never got his chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of shooting at them, Marcus’ gaze met the Baron’s. His eyes flashed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Onyx whimpered. “No. It can’t be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was over.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So how does it feel? To have finally met your match? The slayer of the Taken King, the Prince Crota. Only to fall to a wannabe hive god?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can make you strong. Stronger than anything your Traveler can ever hope to do. Give you whatever your own heart desires.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All you have to do is wish it. And it becomes reality.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s what you want to do. It’s what your kind always wanted to do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Even if your most inner desire is for that female companion of yours, the one who actually achieved those titles you think you have. You can wish for her to be back, crawling in your arms to spend an eternity together in your own realm of bliss and pleasure.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s something you desire. I can see it at the depths of your heart. There is no denying it. Don't waste your efforts. You cannot hide it from everyone. Especially me.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Hiraks grinned as his foe fell. One dead, the other in a constant mindbent trance. It was time to bring them back out, to lay at Uldren’s feet for him to mock for their failures. So much for their crusade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the bodies moved. The mindbent one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus erupted to life in a radiant light. Hiraks fired a round at him, which he parried off into oblivion by spinning another formed arc staff. No sooner was it deflected then he threw it like another spear. Instead of aiming wildly, his accuracy was on point. The barbed tip easily punched through the thick chitin armor, discharging an ungodly amount of electricity through his limbs. He twitched, emitting a primal snarl of defiance as his jaws opened...them in a grim sadistic smile just moments ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cloud of green smoke poured out, densely onto the stone floor. Dark ether mixed with soulfire, illuminating the area in a sickly toxin. The Mindbender thrashed wildly, his massive frame suddenly beginning to shrink as cracks began to appear in the surrounding intact structures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire thing canted to the side, tilting down as if it were a ship sinking on its death throes. It just happened to be that the portal had opened up to allow more hive to enter. They hit the open air, flailing their limbs angrily as they scrambled for purchase on the ruins out of their reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus saw Jadyn’s body, just underneath him as he slid down towards the endless abyss. He dug his hand into the stone to arrest his descent and managed to snag his fellow dead hunter around the waist and used his wire to secure them to the side again. It felt like he was scaling an almost vertical cliff face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart hammered in his chest as he processed the fact he almost lost her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll both be lost if we don’t get out of here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus, this place is collapsing!” Onyx cried. “We need to get to that portal and out of here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced up, seeing that it was maybe fifty feet straight. There weren’t many places to go. But if he could get Solomon and Jadyn through, that would be less to deal with and he could confront the Mindbender after dealing the fatal blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Using his wire again, he managed to gain another ten feet, digging his boots into the side and jumping in a strafe pattern when bits of stone and ruins crumbled down, threatening to take them with it. Beneath him, he heard the sound of claws scraping against the floor. The Mindbender wasn’t dead yet. He didn’t dare look down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was feasible. With such a fatal blow, everything Hiraks had worked for was permanently undone. Even if he survived, maybe the hive would see his obsession as nothing more than something trivial and oust him as a result.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although he was angry at the entire situation, he was most angry with himself. Because he almost lost her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was fifteen feet away from the portal, he activated his reel, causing their ascent speed to accelerate again. As they crossed the floor, which was now completely vertical, he used his arm to launch Jadyn’s inert body through. She passed into the black and green and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only hoped it was back on the beached tombship of the Tangled Shore. It would be bad if it was somewhere else like the Dreadnaught.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had to catapult himself through, but just as he was within arm’s reach of it, he felt something wrap around his ankle, yanking him down again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiraks had caught up, not having to carry a body and able to crawl on walls much better than a human, even with his aid. He slammed his free hands into the wall, another grasped firmly around Marcus’ neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no light. It wouldn’t be enough in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over Onyx’s protests, he disengaged his own tether and grasped at Hiraks’ fingers, trying futilely to pry them off. It was no use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking fast, he fired the tether into Hiraks’ bleeding head, grabbing on and then using it to pull his face down into the stony floor. The action caused him to release his grip and slide down a ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, instead of trying to mindbend Marcus, he reached out with his fingers, glowing faintly with what soulfire or hive magic remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The portal shrank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With horror, he realized the Mindbender was going to try and trap both of them in here together for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You. DON’T!” In a flash, he had Sleeper in hand, charging the trigger. The laser shot out, cutting straight through Hiraks’ horns and causing an even bigger fountain of fire, ether and soulfire to plume out as if he had shot open a cabal helmet full of their sticky black oil. Hiraks shrieked, losing his grip yet again and tumbled down, vanishing over the side. The last thing Marcus saw of him was his face. No glowing eyes, just a regular blue with his jaws open in an expression of pure rage. And then he was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus wasted no time in jumping through the portal directly above him. He had no reason to stay.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The transition back to the real world was jarring, but brief. He hit the floor and tumbled down the ramp, coming to a stop next to Jadyn, who was still lying prone on the ground. Her arms and legs were spread out as if she had just flopped on a bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to be the bearer of bad news.” Solomon said, clearly distressed and nervous. “But Jadyn’s spark is almost completely gone. If we don’t do something, she could be gone forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s revive her here.” Marcus said. “Do your thing and I’ll keep on the lookout for anyone who might try to interrupt us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the problem.” Solomon told him. “You had most of my Light when we combined it to defeat the Mindbender.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then maybe he can give it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s fine by me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I don’t care if it means I have to be lightless. Do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghosts exchanged worried glances. But Solomon opened up his core as Onyx did the same. Marcus felt two healing beams sweep across his body. Solomon flew around his guardian, whispering to himself and casting his own healing beam over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Onyx watched in silence. She looked a bit smug, as if he had unwillingly proved her right. Which he usually ended up doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You love her. Don’t you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus wasn’t even sure he had to answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a couple of minutes, Solomon looked back up, sounding a little less stressed. “I managed to get her spark stabilized. She’s still dead, but I think we can work with it. We've got some time now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A screech echoed down a hall. Marcus was immediately up, his submachine gun at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Show me the way out. We’ll get her back once we’re out of immediate danger.” He knelt down, grabbing Jadyn’s waist again and hoisting her over his left shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s heavier than I thought.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His arm firmly secured around her thigh in a fireman’s carry, he loaded a magazine into his weapon. The exhaustion crept into his body, but he fought it. They weren’t out of the woods yet. “Let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It took them several minutes to blast their way through more thrall and acolytes that tried to attack them, but following Solomon’s navigation points, they found themselves back at the entrance to the downed tombship where Marcus couldn’t have been happier to see such a dreary sky in his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They found a spot just off a dirt road where the ship was out of sight after several minutes of sneaking around using the rocks and others as cover. There were fewer hive around than when they showed up and he could see the burned out corpses of scorn that had piled up close to a cave, likely the ones that were still fighting when they entered. They fared much worse than Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This looks about good.” Onyx said. “I’m not detecting anything on my normal tracker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus grunted as he set Jadyn’s body down on a patch of grass. Solomon appeared, using his healing beam on his guardian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinctively, the hunter’s hands moved closer to her helmet. He couldn’t have explained it much or well, but he wanted to see her face. Of Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His Jadyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. MY Jadyn? She isn’t mine!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The seal was undone and he gently took it off, setting it aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re okay.” Solomon said. “We’re okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sounded like he was trying to reassure himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed with a bit of relief. “I’ve got her. It just takes a little longer since my Light isn’t what it normally is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it either.” Onyx told him. “Most of the time, we rest and we’re back to normal the next day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s hope so. We still have four more Barons to hunt. But I think we should maybe lay off for a while to recover. I’m exhausted.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus exhaled too, the nervousness still in his system. He had been holding his breath ever since he laid her down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon vanished after a few more minutes of healing. Marcus leaned closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s eyes snapped open and she gasped for air as if having been underwater for far too long. Her arm lurched out, grabbing Marcus close and Trust drawn with her right, pointing at something. There was nothing to shoot however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jade!” Marcus shouted, squeezing her. “Jadyn! It’s okay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her breaths were ragged and she clung to him as if he was her lifeline. “Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My guardian!” Solomon cried, appearing over his shoulder and flying up to her. “You scared me. You really did back there! Please let’s not make this a regular thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where?” She glanced around, slowly putting her gun down. Her ghost transmatted it away. “The Mindbender...is he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s dead.” Marcus nodded, looking most relieved. “We won’t see him again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I feel better knowing we destroyed the throne world that was built because of Cayde’s death.” Solomon added, Onyx nodding in agreement. “We did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn tried to stand, but suddenly felt weak. Marcus caught her with his arms. “I got you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t protest or anything. Only relaxed as he began to walk out of the area back to the road. Onyx told him she’d get a sparrow ready to go once they reached it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so worried.” Marcus told her, glancing down with a relieved smile. “I was so worried I’d...that we’d lose you. Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded slowly. “I think. I think I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sparrow was waiting for them, settled firmly on the ground. They were a tad too far to transmat directly to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so he opted to take the ride on the safest route back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced down at her once they reached the vehicle’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about getting back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll ride. I’ll get us there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled weakly at him. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was going through his mind as he pursed his lips. But he gave her a reassuring nod. “You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He settled her on the sparrow’s smaller passenger seat and stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stared at him in amazement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinct took over his mind and his hands reached out to gently caress the side of her face. Her eyelids slowly slid shut as she leaned into his touch and visibly relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus mounted the sparrow’s front after securing her with the belt before activating the booster drive to take them both back to their temporary home.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Reksis Vahn, the Hangman</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, welcome back to another installment of the story! We're nearly there. Four barons dead and now we go after the other four. The Hangman was definitely the creepy one of the bunch aside from the Mindbender, but I was getting some slasher Freddy &amp; Jason vibes from this. Freaky for sure.<br/>How about Jadyn and Marcus go take him down?<br/>Enjoy everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marcus was awake at the crack of dawn the next morning after a weary trip back to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lost Legend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Jadyn had lapsed into unconsciousness on the ride, leaning on his back as he drove.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dismounted once they reached the side and picked her up again, carrying her into the ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either the death or being in the Ascendant Plane for too long had drained their ghosts’ Light and they’d need rest too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was still asleep when he was up and moving. He fixed himself a quick breakfast ration and chugged down a cup of that yeast synthetic coffee. He already missed the actual grounds that were found in the expensive roast houses in the City. She wouldn't be up for a minute, knowing how she was definitely not a morning person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he spread a cloth on the small folding table, taking apart their weapons, both theirs to perform regular maintenance. Oiled, brushed...they were covered in dried hive gunk and shells. Not to mention the smell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a couple of painstaking hours to take their weapons apart, setting them aside after scrubbing everything off and then lubing the parts with the small bottle he had brought with him. Onyx stood by his side, watching her guardian work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had that laser focus when he was modding guns. He noticed that Jadyn’s Trust hand cannon had a slightly off zeroed sight and set himself to adjusting the dot at the top of the front tooth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon uttered a tired greeting to them and flew over next to Onyx. The two ghosts bobbed in their own pleasantries, setting to do a loose chase around the top as he worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I figured our weapons needed some tuning and a much needed clean after going in the muck.” Marcus said without looking up at them. “The last thing we need is our own gear screwing us over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s actually really thoughtful of you.” Solomon said. “Most of the time, Jadyn doesn’t really care much about taking apart her weapons other than to oil and maybe scrub that carbon buildup off. Lightweave isn’t exactly clean on the inside of the barrel either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah no kidding. You should’ve seen the bore cloth I ran through her shotty.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that the?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus saw their gaze towards the Hakkë-made sniper rifle he had back. “Yep. The Long Shadow. Hakkë’s entry into the Vanguard’s precision sniper rifle program and the eventual winner. Extremely modular with rugged attachments and a powerful punch that exceeded their range requirements. There aren’t many on the market as they just got awarded the contract, but that’ll change. If Jadyn ever wants, I’ll see to it that she gets one early.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can always ask.” Solomon didn’t want to exactly say no. Sniper rifles weren’t her favorite, but he wasn’t going to tell him that. If anything, she’d be delighted he did something like that for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon blinked and floated closer. “Thank you. For saving my guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t going to let her be stuck or die in such a bleak place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have the heart to tell him that really wasn’t what he had meant, but it counted too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to thank you too.” Marcus told him. “You went along with my plan to overcharge myself with the Traveler’s Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never realized it would work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither did I.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two ghosts stared at him in surprise. He shrugged in response. “It was a do or die moment. The Mindbender being able to incapacitate us by just using his head meant that we were only going to keep on fighting by luck. If both of us were taken down, I don’t think we would’ve been able to walk out of there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was amazing!” Onyx gushed. “I don’t think I’ve seen you able to control that much power before! But...I also think it was very dangerous. Let’s try and not do that again unless Jadyn is conscious and willing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. And we paid for it by her exhaustion.” They could tell Marcus was quite upset at himself for letting his partner get hurt and not have immediate aid. “In all the time I’ve known her, she’s been strong, fiery and always finding a way to win. When I carried her out and back here...I’ve never seen her so vulnerable. I hated it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A silence passed between the three of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love her. Don’t you?” Solomon asked quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a big turnaround, considering how he had treated her when he first had arrived. But they hadn’t participated in missions, strikes or anything else together for this long by themselves. He was the only one out here that was willing to help, even when the Vanguard supposedly had their hands tied with other things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not oblivious to the feelings of guardians. Both you and her. She had the biggest crush on you too when you first met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered that, her always coming up to him in earnest when they finished patrol missions or crucible matches together. Raving about how they were "connecting" in the arena when they stomped the other team. She always wanted to spend more time together, outside of their work. Pretty much every occasion, he had some lame excuse not to. But he enjoyed her friendship and he couldn't deny she had done some things many considered borderline impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then as time passed; they grew apart. They saw each other less often, despite on the same raid fireteam. Talked less. The interactions were less friendly to cordial to his snide attitude outright infuriating her. Drove her crazy. And it did the same to him. He couldn’t stand her recklessness, quick to start a fight and show off her Light. She couldn't stand his flippant attitude towards anything that wasn't fun or interesting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But in hindsight, what he had said in the cockpit with Onyx was true. As much as she did drive him crazy, it was one of the qualities that he found endearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where Jadyn was reckless at times, she was also selfless. Where she stepped up to the challenge, she never backed down until it was won.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want you to know that...she’s really special and my everything.” Solomon said, easing closer. “And I see the way she looked at you when you first met and now...ever since you joined her to hunt down the Scorn Barons and Uldren, you two have been growing closer together to form a strong bond. I...just don’t want to see her upset again if you break her heart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He won’t.” Onyx said proudly and it reassured him since he knew Solomon trusted her. “I think Marcus is falling for her just as bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I am.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He said nothing. There really wasn’t much he could do to talk his way out of it. Onyx would never let him hear the end.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up quickly in bed, drawing in a gasp after barely remembering yesterday’s events, but relaxed when she found herself lying on her bed with blankets over her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the sound of shuffling feet as Marcus appeared from the main cabin, holding a plate with a bowl and a steaming mug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning.” He knelt down, setting it in front of her on the small extendable table from the wall. “Sleep well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got an obnoxious yawn in return and she stretched her arms. “Actually yes. And I’m starving.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Powdered eggs and some ground meat that constituted for sausage. At least it was hot and not pemmican.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I wouldn’t consider a breakfast ration plus yeast coffee enough to satiate an appetite like that. But I figure it’s better than having to get up and make something yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was pleasantly surprised to hear that he made food for her, even if the ration and coffee were just needed to be heated up. After a cold mission out on the Tangled Shore; a fuel of warm meal was more than enough to hopefully get her body running again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also figured it was best to let you sleep for ten straight hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart fluttered just slightly in her chest. She was actually genuinely grateful. And he was being the same, which surprised her more and more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus nodded. “I also um, scrubbed you clean. At least what I could. I’d hate to have to sleep in your bed full of hive guts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn blushed madly, somewhere between appreciative even more and terrified. To help maybe take their minds off such a provocative thought, she tore into the food, suddenly finding it flavorful when most of the time it had none.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, I didn’t take your undergarments off.” He gestured to the shower. “But I think you’d still want to hit the showers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes I would.</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It was still early in the morning when the two hunters set out for Thieves’ Landing. The small town where Spider cleverly hid his safehouse. Jadyn and Marcus passed humans, awoken and fallen outside their homes. Though they would turn tail and shut their place down if they ever saw the scorn rolling up. They were universally hated despite the tension out here and the reason people were constant looking over shoulders with a hand on a gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most people paid them little attention, even though guardians in this part of town were a rare sight until recently. Spider’s safehouse still had the camouflage over it and a guard cleverly disguised as another unidentifiable scoundrel recognized and let them in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was the same deal like they had done when they first arrived. Shank was there to greet them with a pair of guards flanking her, still no sign of who exactly she was behind the faceless visor. She and Marcus were relieved of their weapons, minus her Trust and his Veist submachine gun; Red Mamba. Same with the knives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider chuckled and wheezed heavily as Shank and her guards escorted Marcus and Jadyn into his main lair. He still had that dead ghost shell he fiddled around with like a puzzle cube.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, our two crusaders on their vengeance streak have returned!” He spread his arms out. “The Shore’s been in a frenzy about you two. Destroying four of the Scorn barons definitely got some attention.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider sighed. “It’s all thanks to you that I can breathe a little easier for some endeavors of my business. Are you intending to finish it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Jadyn said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, I figured. Cayde started it when he put all those scoundrels away. Makes sense the apprentice finishes it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got the bounties?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spider nodded and gestured to Shank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped forward, holding out the tablet as Jadyn peered at the details.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m thankful of the footage your little morsels had of you slaying those annoying scorn. But unfortunately, I’m not hearing much besides the two on that contract there. The Hangman and the Rifleman. Be careful out there. While all dangerous in their own right, even my associates don’t come back alive if they wander into their territories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They haven’t faced guardians like us before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I disagree with that.” Spider’s tone sharpened. “Pirrha has more than once been able to shoot and destroy a ghost before he mortalized Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn looked at Marcus. “So him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Hangman is more than likely responsible for the disappearance of many of my servitors! End him and rescue any that you can! I’m not a fan of rationing ether any more than I have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As much as I want to kill the Rifleman too,” Marcus said. “I think hitting the Hangman first would hurt the Scorn more. They hate servitors yet are dependent on the either they give, so without any to keep around, they have to continuously raid and attack other fallen to steal theirs away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn didn’t understand why the other houses and Spider just kept to themselves, away from the Shore. Without any fallen presence around, there would be no ether from servitors. They’d starve to death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Shore is far too saturated from deserters and House Dusk.” Spider said rather annoyingly. “There’s no rooting them out no matter how hard you try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus does have a good point. Bringing down the Hangman would put them in a bind. No set way to get their supply of ether.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They both knew who to target next.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Two hours later, the pair of hunters were investigating the last known locations of Spider’s servitors before they disappeared. The don of the Shore didn’t want to say anything, although he suspected they had been nabbed by the Hangman’s crew, subdued and then taken to his lair where he mauled and sapped the ether from their spherical mechanic bodies. His associates claimed they found drained husks within broken metal cages where they were stored and tortured by the Hangman himself or his gang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strangely the entire place was rather quiet and devoid of activity. Both of them had brought plenty of ammo in case they did run into having to fight an entire battalion of scorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sorrik’s Cut had nothing, just a few legionaries of the cabal milling about under the watchful eye of a single centurion, but the place was actually almost peaceful for once. The valley was often filled with gunfire from them and the scorn on a daily skirmish basis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn and Marcus kept clear of them. No reason to draw attention if it wasn’t necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was the place where Spider’s men reported among the most of their servitors being abducted.” Solomon said. “They also mentioned finding their husks dropped back at the site where they were taken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We triangulate their last known position, we find them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus took high ground to provide an overwatch as well as a different perspective from his vantage point with his sniper rifle. Jadyn stuck to the ground, a little grateful that she had someone looking out for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As long as he wasn’t looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>at</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. All the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” He said after a few minutes. “Even the cabal look bored. Which you don’t see happen often. They always need something to kick around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This can’t be a dead end.” Solomon said. “We have to keep on looking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment, a rather harsh gust of wind rippled through, causing both guardians to shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really don’t want to keep looking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither. At least not out here in the open.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up.” Marcus interrupted them on the strat comms. “I’ve got something that looks like metal cages. Something looking like a servitor is inside.” He was quiet as he marked it on her HUD. “It’s a little too far for me to check out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can get to it no problem.” Jadyn drew Trust and surveyed the area. “Cover me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She vaulted over a piece of rock to the crevice below, noting that the open area had unnatural blackened scorching. Seeing it in blotches on the ground meant that it was the work of the torch wielding ravagers. The thought of the headless fiends made her skin crawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No ravagers were in sight when she did approach the cage of interest. It was about one and a half times her height with metal crudely welded and rusted together. She really didn’t have to go so far to know that it was scorn made. Anything barbaric and violent was courtesy of them, even in this lawless wasteland.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another gust of wind chilled her and she shivered, working over to it quicker than before. Jadyn could make out a husk of a servitor inside that was clearly dead and inert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This servitor’s been drained.” Solomon said. “No...mauled.” She felt him shudder as he phased back in and floated close. Jadyn saw a chained padlock at the area where a door swung open and touched it. Her hand heated until it glowed a dull orange with solar light. The metal melted through easily and she yanked the mechanism off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The cage has an inhibitor mesh around the edges. It’s like a Faraday Cage. It absorbs whatever the captive tries to do in terms of energy and it blocks phasing.” Her ghost flew through the open door and glanced around. Spinning to face her, he tried to phase out of the cage, but only hit the edge as an invisible barrier slightly shimmered like the surface of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ouch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t need to demonstrate Solly.” Jadyn stifled a laugh and used her ghost’s nickname. “I believe you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He floated over to the carcass, playing his scanning beam over it. “I see a name carved in its shell. Reksis Vahn. The Hangman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would someone like him carve his own name in a dead servitor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is straight out of some serial killer craziness.” Onyx said over the strat comms. “Like the Ghost Hunter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ghost Hunter?” Marcus asked. “I thought that was just a story to spook kinderguardians and unattached ghosts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you guys maybe explain to the actual guardians here what the Ghost Hunter is? Or was?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t want to know.” Solomon said bleakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I kind of do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence before Onyx sighed. “It’s a bit of a horror story that was passed around on the GGN. Long ago, before the modern City Age, probably around the time of the Six Fronts, there were rumors of ghosts mysteriously disappearing and then turning up dead in the City. Each one was gruesomely shot and cut open with a torch, but they were propped up with blue glowing crystals as if they were alive. He was rumored to have carried a chain of them, all strung out by their gouged eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?” Marcus said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon shuddered again. “Nobody could understand why these unattached ghosts went missing. None died like this bonded to early guardians. It spread a lot of panic. Ghosts were desperate to find a guardian as if it would spare them from the fate. Lot of them left the City, thinking that it would save them. But then even more turned out to be winding up dead in the Reef. All with the signature like the Hangman. Carved out the innards of the ghosts and replaced with some strange blue crystal to emulate as if they were alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a man named Cyrell.” Onyx said. “He wanted answers that nobody could give up. Had a ghost for a while, but then they parted ways and he saw him again carrying that chain, full of hollowed out dead ghosts. Marcus...I was so scared when I went there to try and search for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Marcus said softly, suddenly sympathetic to her fear. “You’re safe. It won’t happen to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn made sure to reassure Solomon that it wouldn’t happen either as long as she lived. “Did they catch this Cyrell guy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon answered a few seconds later. “No. Nobody knows what happened to him. I...I hope he’s gone. It pains me to hear about all my fellow ghosts dying to someone sick like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s do the same here. We take the Hangman out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.” Solomon scanned the servitor again and he sounded more than happy to move on from the bleak subject. “Well I do have some good news. I managed to get off a location from the dead servitor from an hour ago. That means this one was killed recently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we move fast enough, we could probably catch the Hangman’s gang around here.” Marcus said. “They can’t be that far.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, he was right. The duo had tracked them down to a small drained out gulley that was just a wall away from the main roads. They had passed it before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scorn milled around the area, all in a trancelike posture as if the actual zombified fallen. Jadyn watched them as they snarled loudly to one another, baring their saliva dripping teeth as if itching for a fight. Unlike the normal eliksni, the leadership here did little to calm their underlings down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She and Marcus lay side by side, cloaked in void while observing. Had any of the aliens decided to look up to a perch on their left, they would have noticed a pair of shimmering figures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This looks like a camp of sorts.” Jadyn said. “And I’m guessing these are all the Hangman’s gang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus said nothing, still glancing around with his sniper scope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have eyes on servitors.” He said, marking a couple tall pole towers on their HUD. Jadyn followed it to three of them, two holding the sphere automatons. A pair of the headless ravagers swung their flaming censers at the cage. It struck the metal bars and the mesh prevented the fire from spreading inside. The servitor made a scared beeping noise and shrunk back, causing the scorn to laugh at its misery and terror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but actually feel sympathy for them. Sure, they were machines and used to aid the fallen to attack the City. But the scorn, formerly fallen treated them as if they were garbage and heathens, despite them producing vital ether to their existence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Servitors are holy to the fallen. They make the ether that they need to survive and grow. It’s shocking to see the scorn, who were once them...would even attack servitors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Hangman hates them.” Onyx replied. “He’s responsible for abducting them and then sucking the ether out to feed his fellow barons...the others...they get the scraps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And it never ends well for the servitor either.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ones in captivity have these strange spines on them. Like Spider’s men.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those might be Spiders’.” Solomon paused for a moment, opening up a brief call to the don of the Shore. “Spider, we’re transmitting a visual to you. We believe the Hangman has kidnapped some of your servitors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” They heard a wheeze and snort of disgust. “I’ve been having to ration my ether until I can find replacements. Get them back from those filthy, vile scum! You do that much and you both can look to something a little extra when you show me proof that the Hangman gets what’s coming for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he signed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plan of attack?” Marcus asked. “I see a lot of those lanterns those ravagers carrying around. They may like torturing people with them, but how about we give them a taste of their own medicine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I like the sound of that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those servitors may help us if we free them.” Solomon pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or they may shoot us on sight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only one way to find out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn moved from cover, her void refractive invisibility dissipating as she went behind an empty cage. She eased Trust out of her holster, checking to make sure it was loaded and thumbed back the hammer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus took his eyes off her and searched for the targets. A handful of ravagers, a raider with a sniper rifle and it looked like a chieftain was out of his line of sight. But it wasn’t out of Jadyn’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decloaked, centering the scope on one of the ravager’s censers that was lazily being swung around out of boredom. His finger tightened on the trigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Decades as a top sniper in the Vanguard had told him many things that he would tell others aspiring to be expert shots like himself. It all stemmed from an author nobody could really name outside Murphy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And one of the main things he had told himself time and time again as a hunter out in the wild...if an attack or infiltration was going too well. It was an ambush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took his eye out of the scope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when he saw the purple flash on the top of the ridge.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn heard the crack of a sniper as did the rest of the scorn, but the sound was unfamiliar to her, more like the tri-bolt crossbow rifles they used. Not Marcus’ Long Shadow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s down!” Onyx cried. “Sniper ten o’clock high!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was completely exposed, whirling around to see the same flash just to her left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sniper fired just as she ducked, the void round whizzing by and piercing the meshed cage not three inches from her helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on Marcus.” Onyx said. “I’ll get him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No wait!” Jadyn heard a familiar laugh that grated on her nerves coming from the shooter. “It’s Pirrha, the Rifleman. He’ll destroy you as soon as you pop out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How right you are.” The other baron said as the rest of the Hangman’s crew snarled and advanced. She heard the chinks of metal scraping on the ground as the ravagers began to wind up their flails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess hunting you isn’t really a bad idea.” Jadyn huffed, finally able to get some cover from both the other scorn and the Rifleman. “You came crawling to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where you’ll present little of a challenge. I’m almost disappointed in my brothers and sisters that you and your companion were causing them all this trouble. And it took me no effort to remove him from existence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn heard Onyx seethe with anger and it irked her too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay phased.” She told the ghost. “Don’t do anything until it’s clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re running out of time.” Pirrha gleefully gloated. “King Uldren was most displeased with your efforts in trying to dismantle his schemes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I can push back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hurt the haircut’s feelings. He’s upset. Big deal. So how was his trip to Earth?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pirrha hissed. Jadyn saw a reflective flash from another metal container as the baron used his vanishing dash to relocate. That was her queue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her light fully charged, she instead went at the encroaching scorn, spinning around for her blade barrage. The ravagers shrieked and withered away at the first ones while the raider was impaled thrice, incinerated instantly. The acrid smell of burnt carrion and metal permeated her filters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pirrha fired a shot at her, just as she slid back into cover closer to his spot on the ridge. One of the bolts from his rifle had struck her quad armor and she hissed in pain as the sensation from the void energy burned into her thigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on.” Solomon was quick to heal and cause the pain to subside. Jadyn watched her motion tracker in the meantime as she pressed her back against another container. Her attacker was definitely a superb shot, even at a bit of an awkward angle and range.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However he had also made the mistake of revealing himself. She was able to see him both by her tracker and by her knife, which she held out in front of her, eyeing the reflection in the shiny blade. It was an old trick that Cayde had taught her and she had sometimes seen Marcus and Ailsa use it as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pirrha crept closer, keeping his rifle ready. At the same time, she saw more contacts. He had brought friends. In the lead was the chieftain she had seen tending to the small prison.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Keep him occupied. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Solomon told her in her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s some dead servitor husks that still have some ether left inside. If we can lure them all there, we’d blow them all sky high.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced over at where he was pointing. Just across from the captive servitors were smaller dead ones with blinking eyes that were beyond saving, judging from the scorch marks and scars across their surface. One of them was on a lifted winch, hanging just above the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was also a huge stretch of open area. She’d be gunned down in an instant, by either the Rifleman or his lackeys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your companion also claimed to be among the best of your kind with never missing.” He scoffed. “So called best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you wanting a challenge? Marcus would wipe the floor with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost.” The Rifleman made that annoying laugh. “Most of the fallen and cabal aren’t even worth my time. I almost want his ghost to bring him back so I can actually believe if he’s what he talks about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted him back too, but not for those reasons. No sooner would Marcus be revived, he’d be just as pissed and ready to kill the damned Baron as her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onyx, don’t you dare.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad.” Pirrha said. “My life will go on and his will end in this dirt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was about to reply when movement caught her eye just as she was about to stow her main knife. The chieftain rounded the corner. It screeched in surprise, hand going towards the arc explosive grenade launcher in its lower arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn was quicker though, lunging forward with Trust and putting a bullet in its shield. Four more rapidly pulled shots caused it to collapse. She swung her fist out, another long whiplike fire lash battering the alien against the adjacent wall. It snarled, rising to its feet and delivering a hammer strike with its forearm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s armor took the brunt of the impact and she cried out as she fell back to the floor. However she wasn’t completely defenseless. Her arm crackled again, shooting off another column of Solar Light to burn and finally put the creature down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swapped to void, putting down a smoke bomb to cloak herself in the ablative invisibility and darted out. Jadyn had made it about a quarter of the way before a sniper shot seared through her legs, causing her to cry out and stumble to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice try.” Pirrha was on her in another second thanks to his smoke dashing ability. “But you fail once more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s knife was out once again and she jammed it into the first thing she could find. On top, she heard him hiss with anger and use a beefy clawed foot to pin her chestplate in place. Her arm was trapped underneath too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Solomon,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” He said. “I’m not risking it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pirrha smirked, easing the rifle off his back and scoping it in on the back of the guardian’s helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before a sniper round singed straight through his neck, barely missing his head. The knockback from the high caliber bullet was enough to toss his body back several feet. Solomon wasted no time as soon as he was away to heal her, easing the burning pain in her legs and erasing the scars they’d inevitably leave behind untreated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember me fuckface?” Jadyn didn’t think she’d be so glad to hear Marcus’ vulgar insult. Or the crack of his Long Shadow rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pirrha was quick to vault to his feet from all fours, rifle at the ready, but he also realized that he was out in the middle and scanned the area, trying to find the second guardian. No dice. Jadyn saw that part of his ether rebreather he wore in front of that scarlet cabal warbeast pelt had been severed, leaking the ghostly blue substance out slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He vanished in a swirl of dark ether, the blue clouds betraying his position as he relocated to a better spot with more cover. Marcus had followed him the entire way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn scrambled for cover as she heard the two snipers trading shots. Marcus’ were a bit wild and rapid while Pirrha fired a couple back, some of which made the hunter curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh you’re running?” He said over the comms. “Late for something? Gotta suck Uldren’s dick? It’s probably dirty again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stopped, listening for anything out of the ordinary. All that remained was the low whistle of wind rushing through the hollow rocks. No sounds of scorn squabbling or their clanking orc armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all clear.” Marcus said finally after a couple minutes. She could hear the irritation in his voice. “The Rifleman got away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank goodness.” Solomon said. “But we’re gonna see him again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had a chance to kill both him and the Hangman.” Jadyn said. “And I didn’t even expect to see him. How did he find us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not hard to see a pair of guardians on a sparrow on the Tangled Shore. Word can get around quick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of word,” Onyx butted in. “We should probably get to freeing the servitors and finding the Hangman. No doubt the Rifleman’s gonna tattle on us to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They emerged from their cover, with Jadyn seeing that Marcus had been rezzed and he repositioned himself a bit closer to the Rifleman than when she saw him before. As he approached, she could see his stance and posture was a little aggressive. He clearly had been handed a big fat defeat and there was no way he was going to take it sitting down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pussy ass.” He muttered under his breath. “I won’t miss next time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the last he spoke of the matter. The two of them approached the cages with the living servitors inside. The machines’ eyes had widened, looking at both guardians apprehensively as they cowered at the back of their prisons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn melted the locking mechanism and ripped it off, slowly opening the door. In front, the servitor’s eye started to glow brighter, an indication it was about to fire a void blast. But this time instead of all the other times when she had fought against them, out of fear rather than its own aggression. She had to guess that being kept in captivity already ruined any trust this thing had in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We’re also the first people in a while that actually haven’t jeered, slandered or tried to abuse it. So hopefully it doesn’t kill us on sight.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus didn’t particularly approve of what she was doing, but stood back and watching silently. His trigger finger itched on his submachine gun, but the android had yet to do anything aggressive to either of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn held up Trust, watching the machine’s eye drift to the weapon. Her finger was off the trigger and she slowly slid it back into her thigh holster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The servitor beeped, still floating and eyeing them apprehensively, but the glow in its eye dimmed back to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hesitantly, Jadyn reached out with her hand. She had no idea how this could help her bond or at least let it trust her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her gloved fingertips brushed the metal casing, feeling its rough shell and inner sections closer to its eye as they slowly rotated in opposite directions to the layer in front. The servitor beeped softly again and she stepped back, allowing it to hesitantly drift outside its prison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her, Marcus stood watching. He wasn’t sure whether this was good or bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn, now I’m feeling bad for killing these things without a second thought.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They did the same for the others, which seemed to have the machines reluctantly trust them. Not all of them had the spines that showed their affiliation to Spider. Solomon identified many of them belonging to House of Dusk, the coalition of the late fallen Houses that had united for the sake of survival. The same ones that had harassed humanity when they fled beaten during the Red War.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But these ones seemed to have no quarrel with the other houses or the guardians.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we stay close by?” Jadyn asked out loud, watching them float about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can drop a beacon to let their handlers know they’ve been freed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Solomon informed Spider; Marcus was busy searching around. Something had caught his interest and he waved her over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These aren’t all the servitors the Hangman tried to abduct. There’s more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we can track them too.” Onyx scanned it and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it!” She said over their strat-comms. “It’s back into Thieves Landing, but leads down into the slums area.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh perfect. I imagine the Hangman would feel right at home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The two hunters mounted their sparrows and shot through the road, following her waypoint.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn was surprised to learn that the Hangman’s supposed lair was this close to Spider’s territory. Thieves Landing was small in her eyes, but compared to other places where fugitives and outlaws made their home, it was probably one of the bigger settlements in the area. It was situated in the middle of several asteroids among the Reef, all of which were held and closely monitored by the awoken Techeuns. While the layer of the town was considered “safe” by Tangle Shore standards, people almost never went to the lower levels. The Scorn were down there and who knew what else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More servitors.” Solomon pointed out as they passed through one of the entrances that led down. As they sped through the roads, many people who were outside moved quickly out of their way, seeing their distinctive cloaks. Aside from minding one another’s business, people didn’t dare challenge guardians out in these parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the lower levels, they could see more cages, some with servitors inside both living and dead. It was another crew that were watching them, the same including the ravagers, raiders and a chieftain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus kept an eye out again, knowing that Jadyn could take care of herself, but also in case the Rifleman decided he wanted seconds. His trigger finger was itching more and more to put a bullet in his head once and for all.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guardian killer. Ghost killer.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There weren’t many good points of where to counter snipe him, but he checked them anyway. No sign of the Rifleman, his infuriating laughter or war beast pelt he wore on his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An explosion snapped him out of his thoughts and he saw Jadyn whipping a fan of knives at several of the attacking ravagers, each one went down with a blade embedded inside. Others’ censers were ruptured, spilling the incendiary fuel out and scoring their owners. In her other hand, she used her solar lash to whip aside a large metal container on top of the raider. The tall scorn wasn’t quick enough to react in time, putting a hand on the heavy object and tried to push. Its weight was too great and both the alien and box dropped through a hole and out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All clear.” She called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not quite. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marcus kept an eye on his scope as she waved over to him. The moment she did, the chieftain that had been hiding around another cage had stepped out, throwing a totem in the middle. It immediately activated, causing Jadyn to get yanked off her feet and stuck to its side like a magnet. She had been caught off guard, bringing a weapon to bear, but the scorn knocked it out, producing a wicked-looking rusted dagger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s eyes went wide as it went straight for her stomach, thrusting the knife underneath and aiming for her ribs. Still stuck; she kicked out, missing the weapon, but had caught one of its arms, the chieftain stumbled back and lunged forward again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand was ready this time, having wrested it free as it was about to stab her again. Even undead, the dark ether gave it immense strength and it used gravity to its own advantage in trying to press it down. Jadyn was rapidly losing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as she felt the tip of it almost brush her suit, she felt the pressure come off instantly. The chieftain staggered once more, the arc shield around it flickering weakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ own expression didn’t change as he fired again, putting a bullet that ripped straight through its metal helmet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn twisted around, grabbing the totem and using her solar light, pulled outwards. The device creaked before her strength overpowered its fastener as she ripped it apart. He had joined her at the bottom where she was still visibly breathing heavily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” He asked her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t have shot him sooner?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to hit you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn made to reply, but realized that Marcus was being considerate. Something was going on with him as of recently. He had yet to say anything snarky, disdainful or antagonistic to her in days.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it’s just being out on the Shore for so long.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The further they descended into the slums, the more uncertainty they got. The entire area was full of winding tunnels, both natural and artificial. The lighting was dim, giving off a grayish look to everything. In the dark areas, there were lit torches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feels like we’re going back in time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I heard some cities during the Golden Age had stuff like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hasn’t changed that much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus was on point, having stowed his sniper for his Red Mamba. Jadyn brought up the rear, scanning on their motion trackers for flanking threats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no scorn, despite all the warnings up top by Spider issued to his men of venturing down. From the word of things, those that did come down probably didn’t come back...not in the way they left.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But it looks like we’re on the right path. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jadyn’s eye drifted up to two hanging cages above an entrance, both with dead servitor shells in the same scorched and mutilated fate she had seen back on the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are those servitors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a keep out sign.” Solomon dryly replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring the grisly scene, the two of them continued through the dark. Lighting diminished rather quickly and their armor HUDs automatically switched to night optics, which were capable of running even with close to no outside source.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The motion tracker flashed, showing contacts ahead. There was a haunting orange glow and they could see more flickers. Ravagers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The headless aliens made that low croaking noise and swing their censers at something. A servitor crying out was heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as they wanted to go in and save it, they had to keep the element of surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ left hand went off his submachine gun and down to his hip sheath. His knife was drawn and he twirled it into his fingers to hold it in a switchblade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s keep this quiet.” He whispered to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn nodded and followed his signal to flank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next chamber had only one cage in it with a living servitor. Six ravagers were inside, three of which were mocking the robot inside by banging their censers against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus sat and waited as they fanned out, rather bored. The servitor beeped sadly, but the scorn ignored its pleas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right on cue, Jadyn had clattered a piece of junk on the floor, catching their attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus exploded out of his hiding place, driving his knife home into the closest one. Its partner was quicker than he expected, swinging the censer high. He ducked to avoid getting clocked in the face with it and lashed out with his leg to knock it against the wall. The other four croaked again, turning to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn sprung out, throwing a knife at one and taking another down with a graceful leg sweep. As the survivors rounded on the new threat, Marcus had leveled his own weapon, spraying a burst of bullets to put them down. The Red Mamba had an integral suppressor, allowing him to shoot it much more quietly than a less-than-subtle hand cannon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They freed the servitor after dispatching the scorn. It beeped softly at them. Jadyn noticed a scorched crisscrossed line across the top left of its eye and shell. Part of it hung off like a cracked skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re good.” She smiled at it behind her helmet and gestured to the way they came from. “The exit is that way. Keep going up and you’ll be home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Makes me wonder how many we free today that we’ll end up killing later.” Marcus muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised an eyebrow at him, but he had made a good point.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Still, death by gunfire is probably a better fate than being imprisoned and tortured by someone like the Hangman.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As they made to go deeper into the hideout, neither of them noticed the freed servitor pausing as it was about to exit and turned to follow them.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They heard the Hangman well before they saw him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Judging by the sound of his footfalls as he stalked around his lair, Marcus had to guess he was maybe four times their height and weighed probably even more than that. It was in the next chamber over, but they could hear and see him step. Dust puffed from the ceiling as the hunters found a small air duct, crouching down low and easing their way in. They still had the element of surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A natural source of light filtered from a vent in the ceiling. Jadyn and Marcus gaped at the tall stacks of similar cages to before, seeing them hung by wires and hooks. Close to the end of the chamber was a large rack of crude weapons from maces, knives, swords, hammers and scissorlike tools. Each one was rusted and the size of a rocket launcher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything about the place was creepy and Jadyn found herself deeply unsettled, even if the sadist enjoyed ripping apart machines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She also hadn’t noticed that the Hangman had stopped moving. They still couldn’t see him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until he took a step. Both guardians froze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dragged the flaming morningstar across the floor, trailing sparks as he stalked to the center of the room, apparently busy in his work. It was close enough that the glow reflected off their armor and she could see the individual spikes on the end, caked in rust and a rainbow of dried bodily fluids...no doubt unfortunate victims to the Hangman’s blow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn hadn’t seen him up close, but realized he was even bigger than she expected. At full height, both of them would barely pass his knees, almost to that of a hive ogre. His two inferior arms were docked, only having his upper ones functioning. Sinewy lines of muscle torqued as he moved like a colossus and she could see more haphazardly forged metal adorning his body in mismatched patterns. Bits of it dug into his flesh, creating dark lines of scarification that was already painful enough to look at. The armor he wore was all barbed with thorns, spikes and razor surfaces. It would be hard to try and hit him with direct contact attacks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Hangman stopped short and he looked from side to side, letting out a soft sniffing noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He probably smelled them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, he spun around, throwing the morningstar in their direction. Jadyn and Marcus split up to the sides as it came right at them, smashing the cage they were hiding behind into shrapnel. Jadyn felt the adrenaline already start to pump itself into her system, taking out her shotgun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to go after her first, spotting her darting on the ground and swung again. Like before on the bridge, she saw him slam it on the ground, creating a column of fire that quickly spread out and blanketed the area. She slid out of its way, powering up her blade barrage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flurry of knives didn’t seem to have much effect on him and he had no burns or anything else on his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reksis Vahn had gotten his flail stuck on the ground and yanked it back out, just as a pair of launched grenades sailed in to strike him on his arm. The thick crude armor kept him protected. Marcus stuck to the shadows, firing from a distance as their foe snarled, looking around for his attacker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn closed in, now aimed up at his bare midsection with her shotgun. Reksis Vahn was so preoccupied with Marcus, he hadn’t noticed her approaching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fired, each shot impacting the side and causing him to flinch. Bits of torn flesh and skin spattered out from his sides as he whirled around on her. Instead of swinging his morningstar, he slammed it on the ground, creating a ring of fire that knocked her back. She flew through the air, tumbling onto the ground just as several more of the smaller ravagers had stormed into the room, also spinning around their censers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Hangman had focused on Marcus, who had taken a bit of a high ground on the stacks of cages. He struck one with his weapon, turning around and throwing the entire object at him. Jadyn gasped as it hurtled through the air, but Marcus was ready, activating his arc staff which cleaved through the center, bisecting it. He wasn’t done throwing things either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus dodged another cage, throwing the staff on the opposite end before using his wire to jump across. Reksis Vahn wound up his morningstar and thrust it out, the chains locking into place as it extended to nearly double the length he carried it at. Marcus had flattened himself against the cage where the spikes passed within an arm’s reach and he felt the heat prick his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn had to help him somehow. She had been backed into a corner by the ravagers, taking turns in using her knives, shotgun and Trust to take them out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was certainly large. No way she could get on him and try to wrestle him to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep him busy Marcus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I’ll try!” She heard his reply over the Hangman’s roar of frustration. He kept swinging his morningstar up at the hunter above to try and get him down, but the smaller figure was too quick and could see it coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to have another idea, instead marching over to one of the cages that held a live servitor. With his spare hand, he ripped it open, grabbing the machine and crushing it in one swift motion. Ether gases leaked out of it as the life was quenched with the screech of metal. Vahn stared up at Marcus and then threw it at him. He dodged again, but the remaining ether inside had combusted, blasting him against another column of cages that he nearly fell down and lost his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reksis Vahn didn’t stop there. He grabbed another one, crushed it and tossed it at him. Marcus evaded, mindful to secure himself in case the blast knocked him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the third one, she saw that he snagged it with his wire, looping it around and throwing it back. The Hangman didn’t expect that and the explosion tossed him into the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stepped up on her feet, watching as he recovered and swung the morningstar. She ducked underneath, getting his attention as Marcus had reloaded his grenade launcher, firing at him from up top. A volley of the explosive shells caused him to kneel down, swaying side to side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood back up, taking a step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s wires shot out from her wrist gauntlets, easily finding purchase on the uneven surface of his legs. As soon as he put weight on them, she yanked with all her strength, causing him to unexpectedly topple over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as he fell, his morningstar had went out, hitting one of the higher cages and causing the entire stack to fall down to the ground. It was the one Marcus was perched at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t been anticipating it and Jadyn realized her mistake a second too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, he miraculously managed to get ahold of something so he didn’t plummet down at his full speed, but he had landed on his feet in front of the Hangman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reksis Vahn shook off the wires and glared at Marcus, readying to attack. The hunter was quicker, tossing a grenade at his face that was batted away. Unfortunately, he also didn’t realize that it wasn’t a direct blast explosion. The arcbolt grenade sparked out, conducting the metal armor. The Baron stumbled yet again, bellowing in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That hurt?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He stomped the ground in frustration, one of them was strong enough to take Marcus off his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Jadyn watched in horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he struck her friend and teammate in the side of the head with his censer. Like a rocket, Marcus shot into the dark corner of the lair and disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!” She had screamed it out before it registered in her mind. The Hangman laughed and turned around. Now it was just him against her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please be okay.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The hell was she thinking? There’s no way Marcus was gonna walk straight out of that. And even worse, she had caused it by him falling down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reksis Vahn gave her a cruel smile, one that made her shiver before he stalked menacingly towards her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus is alive.” Onyx said, sounding breathless. “But he’s suffered a concussion. Jadyn! I can’t get him back to normal functioning for a while! Can you hold out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can try.” She narrowed her eyes, now filled with determination and a bit of rage at seeing how he effortlessly knocked Marcus out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Hangman struck the ground with his morningstar again, causing the same wave of fire to erupt from the ground. Jadyn moved sideways, taking advantage of his struggle to take it out of the ground to jump in close. Her shotgun kicked in her hands and when it ran out of ammo, she switched to her Sleeper Simulant. The laser only had a couple charges, but she put them to good use in piercing his leg armor and part of his crested head. The Hangman snarled in fury, swinging with much wilder abandon and Jadyn ducked, weaving around the taller creature’s legs rather dangerously. It was a matter of inches a couple of times where it would’ve taken her head off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Buy me another minute!” Onyx said.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m trying dammit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But her weapons had done the trick. Slowly but surely, his armor was buckling, weakening to the point where she swooped back in with her shotgun, jamming the barrel into his leg and firing. Reksis Vahn roared, another shout of fury before his free hand found her own leg and tossed her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn slid on the ground as he charged forward, swinging his morningstar and slamming it on the ground for his wave attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched the flames race towards her, mind half bracing for the inevitable burning heat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But nothing happened. She opened her eyes to find that a rather pleasant feeling sensation and glow surrounded her. It came from a conduit above her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A servitor had entered the lair. She saw the burned scar on its casing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The same one she and Marcus had rescued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reksis Vahn didn’t seem to be too pleased about a servitor running free, much less aiding his enemy. He snarled, stamping his feet before snatching the nearest cage; one that happened to have a dying servitor inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slammed it on the ground and thrashed it around as if a child throwing a tantrum with a toy. Jadyn watched in horror as the cage and servitor inside were mercilessly torn into bits. He threw them around, at her, at the walls, at the other cages. She ducked and the servitor drifted into cover as well. Its front fluctuated, passing its ether shield onto her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time the Hangman was done with his frenzy, there was barely anything there to resemble his victim or the prison it was contained in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt a bit of appreciation at the servitor for saving her. It didn’t have to do that at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It actually helped us.” Solomon whispered. “I never thought it was possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s finish this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The servitor strafed to her right, firing at Reksis Vahn. Though its void blast did almost nothing to the Baron, the fact that something he hated with every fiber of his being had the audacity to hit it in the back must’ve triggered the worst of its anger. He roared, stalking up and dragging his censer behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was all the opportunity Jadyn needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lunged forward, her shotgun firing as she slid to his side. He had raised the censer, bringing it down to give the servitor a fiery death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn’s wire shot out of nowhere, grabbing and pulling it out of the deadly blast. As she released it, she reeled it back and stuck the second one to the edge of the morningstar. Reksis Vahn felt it tugged away from him, instinctively slamming it into the floor to try and prevent it from behind used against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which turned out to be his biggest mistake. The morningstar leaked fuel from its metal surface and Jadyn fired more rounds into it, puncturing and causing more to fizzle out. The fumes easily ignited from the flame above, dousing the entire area in fire. He shrieked, his armor no longer strong enough to protect him from his own fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn saw him whirl around at her, ignoring the servitor. That was her cue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She called upon her Solar Light again, spinning around with a handful of burning knives and launching them downward at her victim. As she landed; she did it again, pelting him as much as possible to return the pain he inflicted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that and the fuel soaking to add even more hurt to the burns, the Hangman was already a blazing inferno, in a roaring scream while trashing his limbs about. Jadyn fired another round from Trust, a lucky one piercing his knee, deforming it. He fell to the ground, sparks and smoke emanating off his body as he looked up at Jadyn with pure, unfettering hatred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to wonder if he was dead when he suddenly snarled again, trying to stand on his good leg. He pulled the chain on his flail, somehow still attached to him as he burned. A haze of ether and smoke began to fill the area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn stood where she was, watching and doing nothing as the flames continued to grow, feeding on his very flesh, bone and metal until she could see his eyes staring at her again, that same loathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a fist, sticking out her middle finger until the glow from the eliksni madman’s eyes dimmed into nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Hangman enjoyed this.” Solomon said softly. “Causing pain...suffering. Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to think anymore of what he could’ve done to Cayde.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn still had the adrenaline rush of anger surging through her veins and fell to her knees. She was exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes flew open and she ran over to where he had been hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus had struck a wall, going through it to where bunch of tables held other destroyed servitor parts. It had been a mess even before he crashed into it. More gruesome torture tools lined the wall, making Jadyn feel even worse even though the torturer was now dead by her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx continued her healing beam on his head as he sat up without his helmet. Even without participating for most of their fight, he looked just as exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the look in his eyes was distant, like he was in the middle of daydreaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onyx turned towards her. “He’ll be fine. Just a little dizzy and disoriented.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it’s nothing,” Even his voice sounded a bit off. “Not like when I get drunk at Iva’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which you haven’t for years.” She reminded him. “And it’s usually when you’re trying to woo a woman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Solomon transmatted off her helmet and she knelt down in front of him as he shook his head. His eyes finally focused on her and he chuckled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey. I guess, this means we’re even now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t even care about counting or keeping score. The Baron was dead, they were okay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s also incredibly dehydrated.” His ghost said. “Let’s get back to the ship so he can recover.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The servitor floated behind them, eye locking onto Marcus. He reached for his gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn put a hand over his arm. “It’s okay. I have this guy to thank for saving my life too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inner sections of its eye spun and she saw the same purple conduit extend to Marcus for a couple of seconds. As it stopped, he blinked, suddenly acting much more alert and more like his normal self.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...I...a servitor saved you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah who would’ve thought?” Jadyn patted its metal side as if it were a loyal pet. “We spend most of our time shooting these things apart, one actually being an ally is such a strange thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Well whatever pain I had is gone thanks to you.” Marcus gave it a slow nod. He never imagined having to thank a servitor for anything, except usually grief or aggravation. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little more exploration of the Hangman’s lair found more than a dozen servitors on his death row. Marcus marveled at the burnt ashes and tangle of charred limbs that had once been the most creepy and disturbing of the scorn leadership.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remind me to never make you that pissed off again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn laughed and almost gagged from the burnt flesh smell that was in the room. As if a reminder, both their helmets were back on and filters activated. “I was so mad...so upset about seeing you get hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kind of what I was like.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what we do as guardians. We take care of each other. And our ghosts.” He felt Onyx beam at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn felt a bit of happiness at Solomon’s own reaction before turning to the servitors. She jumped up to one of them with the spider’s spines over it. There were four others like it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She melted the locks and allowed them out, along with the others that Marcus had smashed open with the butt of his rifle. Each of the purple machines seemed more than happy to be freed from their confines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. Let’s get you home.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jadyn refused to let Marcus sit and try to rest. She insisted that he take the bed this time around even after his wooziness from suffering the concussion had somewhat subsided. Though Onyx could dull the pain, he’d still need a bit of bedrest and make a full recovery within a night as opposed to weeks in a normal human. His own ghost was grateful she could see the damage done to his brain from that and mend it properly with no side effects.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, he felt a bit dizzy and disoriented at times, despite her reassurance that sleeping it off would all but cure it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On their way back to the surface level, they escorted Spider’s servitors back to a waiting skiff that would take them back to his own safehouse. The others were left to roam around on their own and the one that they rescued trailed along after them for a couple moments, then remained with the others.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s so strange feeling bad for those things getting killed by the scorn. There wasn’t much else we could do besides letting them roam free.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>From then on, they arrived back at the Lost Legend where she let him shower first. He was one in just a couple minutes, passing her dressed in nothing but a standard blue Vanguard issue towel. Jadyn tried her hardest not to stare. He wasn’t overly shredded like a titan, but there was a good amount of tone in his torso that would’ve caught female attention if he was shirtless. Neither the cursive tattoo etched above his right breast on his shoulder. He didn’t seem to be self-conscious of it right in front of her...nor did he notice her actively looking at him on eye level.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Be a decent person for once and put something on before I can’t stop wondering how that would feel against my face.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jadyn cursed herself for even going there to begin with. She had seen her fellow guardians before, both in modest clothing and naked...men and women, back in Basic Training in the communal showers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was just the two of them. Together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” She asked, a bit worried that he only took such a short time in there. Her filters and water tank had enough to ration things out where it could last for twenty minutes maximum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine Jade.” Marcus seemed a bit irritable, but not outright nasty. “It’s basically what Doc Ghost here says. Sleep it off and I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but why sleep in the cockpit chair? It’s not exactly comfortable.” She had pointed out as he made his way up there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because this is your ship. I’m your guest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The female hunter set her hands on her hips while giving him that same pout. Though she didn’t know it, he found that expression of hers absolutely adorable and completely unlike her ruthless fighting and killing persona he was so used to out in the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been here for weeks and you just moved in days ago after your own ship was shot up. This is your home too. You were also conked in the head by a massive metal flail. Which I’ll admit was directly caused by me. If anyone deserves to sleep in the only bed we have, it’s you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Is, wells, buts, or anything.” Jadyn almost audibly sighed with relief as he pulled a shirt over his body. “Sleep in the damn bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. But only because you insist.” He paused. “You’re...um, more than welcome to join.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” A blush crept up her face faster than anything she had ever realized. “I don’t mind the seat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No I’m not kidding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just gave me a tongue lashing to why you don’t need the bed. Now you want me in it with you?” She raised an eyebrow. “Onyx, did you fully heal him from his concussion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’ ghost bobbled in midair. “Yes. But he still needs to sleep it off. They don’t exactly heal in the snap of a finger unlike other injuries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not a problem.” He told her. “I’ve slept with plenty of people I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” She gave him a knowing smirk since he wasn’t fully aware of what he said. “I’m aware.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The color drained from his face and he lapsed into an embarrassed silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck. I walked right into that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn smugly folded her arms in front of her chest. “Yes you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes and laid on the bed, folding the thin blanket over his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Jadyn was done with her shower and a fresh change of clothes, she stepped out to find Marcus fast asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He went out like a light.” Onyx told her. “I’m glad for it. I’d hate to see him suffer another one. Plus he’s all still upset about the Rifleman getting the better of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn realized that that was the next Baron on the list. The one that shot and killed Cayde’s ghost. The one that annoyed her from the start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll get him.” She reassured both her and Solomon. “Sundance will be the last ghost he’ll ever get the claim to kill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we should get plenty of rest.” Solomon rolled his eye and flew to the small pillows on the nightstand that were specially made for ghosts to sleep comfortably. “Nice nightwear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jadyn glanced down, seeing herself in a dark sports bra.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He asked. “You look good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Solomon. Good night Little Light.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced over at the cockpit seat, taking a moment to polarize the glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, the chair does look kind of uncomfortable.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.</p><p>Brav</p></blockquote></div></div>
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